Chapter 17

Aramon

I was very disappointed that there wouldn’t be time for more cuddling. There should always be cuddling after sex, especially with my mate, but she insisted she had to get up and get showered for the next round of negotiations. I sulked about it until my eyes landed on the bruises that marred her neck. Then, I was as eager to get this over with as she was. Once everyone saw how that bastard had marked her, she would finally let me heal them.

Then I thought about the Xurtal male who had done this, and my blood felt like molten lava in my veins. Fury and rage clashed in my head; the murderous desire to get my hands on Theronix so strong that it drew Solear’s attention. I will help . Good thing I could always count on my brother for a little plotting of murder and mayhem, because there was no way I was letting that bastard walk away. Absolutely no way.

“You can’t kill him,” Evie said. She was braiding her hair with agile, clever fingers. The result was something pretty and complicated-looking, but it hadn’t taken her more than a few minutes to do one side. Now, she was working on the other. She had already turned on the illusion device that dangled so temptingly from her belly button. Her flat stomach was left exposed by the dress she’d pulled on, and I kept getting distracted by her curves and her exposed skin. Still hot—even green.

I shrugged at her astute comment. “Why not? He deserves it,” I growled as my hands clenched into fists, picturing wrapping them around his neck. First, I’d have to find out where Jaxin had taken him and whether he’d even told the Ovt guards—the ones who pretended to guard this location but really just lazed around in the sun all day. Then I’d slip in, take care of it, and I knew my friends wouldn’t even bat an eye once it was done.

“He only did what he did to serve the greater good of the Xurtal Kingdom,” Evie said as she finished tying off her last braid. “It wasn’t personal.” To my ears, she sounded uncertain, as if she were wondering internally if it was personal after all. It sure felt personal to me. “He said that if I were dead, Pelarios could finish the negotiations, and all delegates would be properly aware of how big a threat is out there. They would sign without demanding Xyraxin.” She rose to her feet with a final toss of her braids and smoothed her hands over the silk skirt that draped around her hips in delicate folds. “Done. Let’s go.”

She moved to step past me, but I caught her by the wrist. My fingers wrapped all the way around—a shackle against her flesh—but her skin shocked me, courtesy of the illusion device. She had to be so blazing uncomfortable, but you couldn’t tell from her serene expression. “I don’t give a Batan’s ass about the greater good of the Xurtal Kingdom. I only want to keep you safe, understand?”

She had frozen in place when I restrained her, her head down as she glanced at my large, red hand around her slender wrist. Then she tilted her chin, and our eyes collided, her expression still cool and serene—the princess once again, instead of the Evie from an hour ago, the one screaming my name as she came on my cock. “I know that, Aramon. The sooner this is over, the better. Please.”

She did not say what that please was for, but I understood. “Don’t go after him.” I couldn’t promise her that. I wouldn’t give her my word if I did not intend to keep it. “Later,” I said, and that had to be good enough. When she nodded, tension eased in my chest, but it came back when we moved to leave for the conference room. I wished I was wearing my armor, which I was so used to that it felt as comfortable as my own skin. In my Asrai noble attire, I could not carry as many supplies or weapons as I’d like, but I’d strapped what I could into hidden pockets and pouches against my back.

Evie glided along on my arm as I escorted her from our chambers to the meeting space. She might not have been a true princess, but damn if she didn’t know how to walk like one. She’d also chosen her dress and hairstyle very carefully, pulling everything away from her neck so there was no way to avoid seeing those bruises. The illusion device had altered the way the light reflected off her skin, allowing people to see her pale, human tones as green, but the device did not diminish the dark, finger-shaped shadows.

When we strode into the meeting room, everyone was already there—quite the opposite of yesterday. Jaxin had arranged that to allow for the maximum impact of those bruises. I’d never realized what a tactician the Rummicaron male was, but I shouldn’t have been surprised; they were known for their cool, calculated plans. As Evie and Jaxin had planned, everyone looked at her when we arrived, and gasps went up all around the table.

The Tarkan King rose to his feet, leathery wings flaring wide, as he rumbled, “Who did that to you, Princess Evadne? Was there another attack?!” His voice carried, silencing anyone who hadn’t been paying the proper amount of attention. This was when the Ovt referee took notice, rising with a trembling of his puffy jowls, green spots flaring brightly across his face and chest. The three Asrai males also came to their feet—two of them, twins, sharing a look that communicated far more.

The Rhico didn’t lumber to his feet, but he shook his head furiously. “Ah, Evadne, what a despicable act. Has the male responsible been caught?” My fists grew tight, and anger flooded me. Caught, yes. Punished? Not yet. But I would get to that, as promised, later.

At least it appeared that the Viridara male was properly appalled. As the biggest voice demanding proof of these threats that Xurtal and Evadne faced, that was a good sign. He seemed properly impressed that the danger was real now, just as Evie had hoped to demonstrate with this tactic.

“Ah, you poor thing,” the only human present said when the male voices had died down. That was the mate of Kalzudaud, the acting Tarkan King of Daudiras. She hurried around the table to place her hands in Evie’s, holding her as she peered left and right to study the markings. “I’m a doctor. Let me take care of those; they look nasty.”

Blazing stars, that was a bad idea. If a doctor took scans of Evie, they’d know she wasn’t Xurtal; we couldn’t have that. But Evie smiled gently and nodded. “Thank you, Caitlyn. I would appreciate that. Last night, when this happened, we did not want to cause a disruption.”

Her words made the twinless Asrai scoff loudly, a snarl curling his lips. I snarled back immediately, stepping in front of my woman and holding out my arms protectively at my sides. “Oh, really? Who’s to say it wasn’t her betrothed who did that? Could have been a little bedplay gone wrong, and they figured they’d use it to convince us. Huh? Raise your hands, Asrai. Show us how those fingerprints match!”

He went too far; words failed me as I leaped forward across the table to grab him by the neck. I’d show him by giving him a set of my fingerprints for comparison. Nobody spoke of my Evie that way. A vicious snarl met mine as he raised his hands to block my reaching hands, too little, too late. He was no match for my strength and training, for the strength of my doubly enhanced heart. My fingers closed around his neck, clenching tight, and I shook him for good measure. “Say that again! I dare you, say that again, you bastard. Nobody insults my princess.”

They had to peel me off the bastard with combined forces. The Rhico hauled me off him by the back of my neck, Kalzudaud yanked me by one arm, and the Sune male, Actor, had shifted to his hybrid form and clung to my left. The twin Asrai did not help their kinsman from the ground where he remained; instead, they leaned over him to spit in his face.

“Only you would say something that despicable. No wonder your father has yet to find you a bride,” came the words from the Viridara male. He had not stuck out a hand to help but leaned back casually in his seat as he observed the chaos. Then he glanced at me and nodded politely, and I felt something strange happen inside my chest. Did a high-born, noble Viridara male just acknowledge me? Treat my feral anger as right, as true? For a blinding moment, I stood there, surrounded by males much better than me, and felt like I belonged. But that was crazy to think.

Then I glanced over my shoulder at Evie and realized that she’d pressed her hands to her heart, looking at me with emotion swimming in her eyes. Caitlyn was next to her, holding a tissue regenerator but not using it as she too stared at the chaos I’d caused. No, I hadn’t caused this. That stuck-up Asrai noble had, and he’d lost any goodwill with the others, even his own kind.

Kalzudaud was the last to let go of me, but his hand became a clasp around my shoulder that offered support rather than restraint. “I do believe it might be better if you leave, Tophear,” he rumbled in a voice like an avalanche. “You cannot go around accusing a princess and her consort of such things.”

It did not satisfy my need to beat the crap out of that pompous ass, and that desire was fueled by my need for vengeance against Theronix. Still, it was nice to see the male sprawled out on the floor in front of me, stared out of the room by everyone present. Disapproval shadowed many faces, and for once, it wasn’t directed at me. He rose to his feet with a snarl, wiping the spit off his face with the sleeve of his long, deep-blue robe. As he walked away with his head held high, he made sure to give me a wide berth. I grinned at his departing back.

I followed him, making sure he could not come near my mate and strike her in a fit of anger. It was not out of the realm of possibility; the Asrai could be petty like that, and I was willing to count myself among them. Not that I’d ever strike Evie—but strike someone because they pissed me off? Anytime.

When I returned to my mate’s side, I was quick to draw her into my arms, and she came immediately. “Are you okay?” I asked her, pressing my forehead to hers. It felt good, even when her illusion device gave me a tiny, impertinent shock. It felt good to be able to do that in front of all these people, and nobody questioned my right to do so. She nodded, leaning a little further into me, her hands pressed against my chest. She was shaken by the situation, but she was trying not to let anyone see it.

“For the record,” Caitlyn announced, her voice and accent reminding me of Aderians rather than the three humans I knew from the Varakartoom. Evie didn't count in that way because she spoke Xurtal rather than her native tongue. “My scans indicated a slightly smaller hand than those of Aramon. It wasn't him, but we already knew that, didn't we?” She said the last part so sternly that it made me smile. Maybe she did sound a little like Evie.

After that, I had to allow Evie to take the lead again and start the negotiations. I didn’t like it, but the atmosphere was better, more hopeful, as everyone sat down in their chairs. Caitlyn spent a moment beside Evie, working on her neck with her regenerator, but that did not stop my pretty princess from speaking.

Too bad these talks were so boring, though I enjoyed seeing Evie command so much respect as she discussed the terms of this alliance with the remaining males. It became apparent that Kalzudaud, the Tarkan, and his human mate wanted this alliance as much as Evie did. The Viridara were now convinced of the danger and ready to hammer out the details, which left only the Asrai on the fence. I did not think they would remain there for long; Evie was simply too tempting, too clever, and too sympathetic a princess not to want to help her and her supposed people.

Still, bored out of my mind with nothing to do but watch, I let my mind wander, and then my hands started to wander too. I slid one hand over Evie’s thigh beneath the table and delighted in discovering the silky texture of her skirt. So pretty, so soft, and that lush thigh only needed to part a little, and I could stroke her even prettier folds.

She did not part her thighs when I nudged them, clenching them tightly shut, but I wriggled my fingers until I could slide them higher beneath the hem of her skirt. She stuttered on a word once, her breathing hitching with the rise of her desire, and I wondered if I could stroke that little bud until she came, right here, in front of everyone. Would she be able to do so without giving the game away?

“Ahem, it is noon,” the stuffy Ovt referee said with a rasp of his throat. I flicked my eyes from Evie’s face to his green-mottled gray one and grinned. His tongue flicked out and licked his left eyeball, then the right in rapid succession. “It is time to take a short recess and have food. I shall have it brought in now.” He rose to his feet, his round belly trembling like his weird, flabby jowls. For an old Ovt male, he’d aged in remarkably flexible fashion. It dampened my amorous mood a little, but not enough.

Evie shot to her feet when the Ovt did, shooting me a glare as I folded my hand innocently over my belly. “Yes, a short recess, thank you, Frazil. I think we can all use a bit of a break.” She dipped into a perfectly poised, beautiful bow that curved her spine and drew my eyes to her sexy rear. Then, she took my hand and yanked me with her to one of the balcony doors. King Kalzudaud laughed, his wing curling around his mate’s shoulder as he winked at me.

“What is it, sweet mate?” I asked Evie as soon as she slammed the balcony door shut behind us. My senses were on high alert immediately; the area was exposed, and I kept my body between her and the desert stretching out in front of us. Lush plants twined over the balcony railing and around the side of the building, but the oasis was only feeding a few trees before giving way to the endless sands on this side. A hover vehicle, like a rover or cruiser, could fly up and take a shot at her right now, and I was her only shield.

Or, an assassin could climb up the trellis and attack us silently. I peered over the edge to make sure no one was approaching, and took note of the handful of parked hovercycles in the shade of the nearby trees. In case of an attack, I could also climb down with Evie and use those to escape. Perfect. I could use a bit of flying since it had been days by now, and there was something so fun about flying a hover cycle. The open air in your face added to the thrill.

“Aramon!” Evie exclaimed from behind me, and when she moved, I moved with her so her body remained blocked from any outside watchers. I did not like to turn my back to a potential threat, but I wanted to see her face. I knew why she sounded annoyed, and I wanted to bask in that for a little, because teasing her was fun.

She had her hands on her hips, curled into fists, and beneath the short, silky hem of her skirt, her feet tapped impatiently inside the combat boots I’d given her. “Do I have to remind you of the stakes? You can’t mess this up! I want this over with; I need this alliance. We both do! We can’t get away from Xurtal without it.” Yeah, we totally could and they would burn, but I didn’t give a damn. However, she did, which meant I cared…a little.

I braced my arms on either side of her head against the door and leaned in close. It made her breathing hitch, and her breasts rose, giving me a tantalizing view over the edge of her neckline. “We did not screw up. The Tarkan King likes seeing us united. The Viridara now believes the threat is real and must be addressed. You are almost done with this, and then I’ll take you far, far away from here.” It was very tempting to add that I’d screw her brains out in celebration, but she was still a little angry.

So I dipped my mouth to hers and claimed her, kissing her with slow, tender moves, long, slick strokes of my tongue, and gentle nibbles on her lush bottom lip. She melted in my arms, her curves pressed against me and my cock, an aching bar against her soft belly. When I pulled back, she chased my mouth with hers, and I knew she forgave me. Sliding my hand along her bare waist, over the silk skirt on her hip, I started to bunch up the fabric so I could resume doing what I’d been after in the meeting. She didn’t stop me, a moan trembling on her lips.

It was the sound of something high-pitched, just on the edge of my hearing, that made me raise my head and still my movements. Tilting my chin, I glanced over my shoulder and searched the empty desert for a sign. There! The silhouette of a small vehicle arrowing away from the oasis. I had a bad feeling about that, so I raised my hand to my com device. “Jaxin, someone just left. What’s going on?”

Evie’s expression went from confused to worried, but I didn’t have time to explain. Catching her around the shoulder, I turned her to the door and hurried her inside, where I knew it was safe. An Ovt servant was pushing a cart with food into the conference room just as we entered, the same male as yesterday. He smiled cheerfully before raising the covered lid over the top dish. My vision narrowed to pinpricks, my instincts roaring. No, that was wrong.

“A bomb!” I shouted, and I spun with my mate, throwing us back out onto the balcony. The explosion followed us, blasting through the room with force and fire. Heat seared my back, debris flying after us like missiles, but I did not pay attention to any of it. Rolling with Evie in my arms, our bodies slid to a stop against the railing. I kept her covered protectively, my heart thudding heavily in my chest with each slow contraction. “Are you hurt?” I asked through the ringing in my ears. I could not hear her answer, but she mouthed something. Her eyes were alert, without pain, so I had to assume she was fine.

Rising slowly to my knees above her, I scanned the demolished room behind us. With the alliance nearly taking shape, it seemed those who sought to stop it had taken far more extreme measures. I saw several bodies sprawled beyond the broken table, though they were stirring slowly. The Tarkan King and his mate were nearby, hovering in the air. My warning had caused the male to take his human to safety just in time. His stone-skin ability had protected them both from harm.

Already, I saw my brothers rushing in from beyond the broken doorway to lend aid and search for any more danger. The poor Ovt waiter was dead, but my warning might have saved the rest. I did not stick around to find out. Sharing a look with Jaxin, I nodded before snatching Evie and throwing her over my shoulder. Then, I went over the balcony railing and, with my claws, slowed our descent down the sandstone wall until my boots thudded into the sand.

Racing beneath the trees, I perched Evie on the saddle of the nearest hover cycle and set about hotwiring the thing in record time. We were up in the air and speeding away in less than a minute. Whoever the bastard was that had set off that bomb, I was going to catch him and make him pay. But first, I was going to take my princess to safety.