Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

Regan

I took Lomax’s hand and squeezed it gently. It was ice cold, and I could practically smell her anxiety. She stared up at me, and I said, “Find your courage, small one.”

“Yes, my mate,” she said before taking a deep breath and giving me a bright smile. “Let’s go meet your king.”

We exited the ship, and when I saw how icy and snowy the landing pad was, I scooped her up and carried her toward the castle entrance. The wind blew fiercely, sending little puffs of snow swirling through the air, and I was grateful we had taken the time when we returned to Earth to purchase Lomax some new clothes, including outerwear. She had protested, not wanting to spend my money, but I had insisted. What was mine was now hers, and I didn’t want my mate to want for anything.

We entered the shipping bay, and I gently set her on her feet. She smiled at me, “Thank you, honey.”

I ignored the Draax gawking at my mate, and pulled her against me as Boken, the head of the shipping bay, joined us. He was the only Draax in the castle I considered a friend, and I was thankful he would be the first to meet my mate. He grinned at me, his gaze flickering to Lomax and how I held her against me. “Welcome home, Regan. It is good to see your face again, especially since it is not nearly as solemn as it used to be. I suspect the small beauty beside you has something to do with that.”

I laughed and gripped his shoulder, squeezing it firmly. “Thank you, Boken. I have missed you as well. This is my mate, Lomax.”

“Hello!” Lomax gave him her bright smile and held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

He shook her hand a little stiffly but smiled at her. “Welcome, little female. Tell me, how in Krono’s name did this great brute convince you to mate with him?”

Lomax grinned up at me. “Regan has many qualities that easily won my heart.”

Boken clapped me on the back before winking at Lomax. “He scarcely speaks a word, so I expect it was his big dick and not his sweet talking that won you over.”

Lomax leaned against me, her soft warmth banishing any lingering chill I felt from our trek across the landing pad. “A lady never kisses and tells, Boken.”

He laughed, and I could tell that he liked my little mate.

Lomax jumped when there was a loud splintering crash behind us. We turned and stared at the vroha that hung half off a small raised platform. Boken muttered an Earth curse before shaking his head. “Alistair is new and as useless as a botaken. I swear to Krono he will drive me mad before his apprenticeship ends.”

He took a deep breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “The king is in the council room, Regan. He demands you meet him there immediately.”

I nodded, tension ratcheting up my spine, even though I knew Eastolf would request my presence as soon as I arrived. As I led Lomax out of the docking bay, I said, “Are you sure you want to meet him now, sadora? I can take you to my quarters and tell him you are tired from our journey.”

“No, I want to meet him,” Lomax said. “It’s better for you if I meet him now, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I admitted, “but that does not matter.”

“It does,” she said. “I’m happy to do whatever makes your life easier, so let’s meet your king.”

She squeezed my hand and followed me through the halls. It was so cold we could see our breath, and I saw the palace clearly for the first time in a long time. Cold and dirty with crumbling walls and shabby floors. It was practically a hovel compared to Quillan’s home, and I was suddenly deeply ashamed that Lomax would have to live here.

“The castle needs some repairs,” I said.

“It does, but it’s still nice,” she said.

I shook my head. “It is not, and I am sorry, my mate.”

“Stop that,” she said, squeezing my hand and slowing to a stop. “Honey, I don’t want you to keep apologizing for something you have no control over, okay? You were more than upfront about the castle’s condition, and I knew what I was getting into. I don’t care what this place looks like, only that you’re here with me. All right?”

“Yes, small mate,” I said. “I love you.”

She smiled, her gorgeous dark eyes lighting up. “I love you too, Regan.”

A group of about half a dozen Draax turned the corner into the hallway, and they slowed to a stop, staring wide-eyed at Lomax. I growled under my breath, my tail wrapping around her waist in a possessive grip. I had to fight hard not to bare my teeth at them.

Lomax elbowed me lightly in the side before smiling at them. “Hello, I’m Regan’s mate, Lomax.”

They returned her greeting politely, but my obvious annoyance got them moving quickly. When they had disappeared around the far corner, Lomax said, “Hey, Regan? Do you think your lack of friends has to do with the serious grump face you get in here?”

I blinked at her. “I do not have a grump face.”

“Buddy, you’ve got a grump face,” she said before reaching up and poking lightly at my forehead. “Your frown is so deep I could fall into it and never be seen again.”

I stared at her before bursting into laughter, the sound echoing in the empty corridor. “What you describe is just my face, my mate.”

She giggled. “It absolutely is not.”

I leaned down and kissed her, the end of my tail thumping lightly against her thigh. “When I am not with you, it is.”

She cupped my face and gave me another lingering kiss. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to make sure your ‘I’m with Lomax’ face becomes your permanent one. I like it best.”

“I like you best,” I said.

“Ditto, handsome,” she said, tracing my scar.

I wanted to take her to my quarters. Wanted to take her to my bed and bury myself in her perfect body until we both forgot our fears. Instead, I took her hand and led her to the king’s council room.

* * *

Lomax

I was nervous. Scratch that. I was terrified, which was ridiculous because I knew Regan would never let anyone, not even Eastolf, hurt me. But despite that knowledge, my heart still bumped and thumped, and the trembling I was doing had nothing to do with how cold the castle was.

Regan squeezed my hand, and I made myself smile confidently at him even though he could feel how damn sweaty my hand was. He knocked on the council room door before opening it and ushering me inside.

Eastolf’s council room was twice the size of Quill’s and, unlike the rest of the castle I’d seen so far, not starting to crumble around us. It was deliciously warm, and lavish tapestries and gold sconces adorned the walls. A large table, the stone a strange sheen of blue, was placed in the middle of the room, and I swallowed hard as I stared at the Draax sitting at the head of it.

He was handsome, with a strong jawline and a narrow nose. His dark brown eyes studied me with a coldness that made me want to hide behind Regan like a frightened child.

Instead, I kept my back straight and bowed to him as Regan did the same.

“Hello, my king,” Regan said.

“Welcome home, king’s guard,” Eastolf said. His voice was surprisingly high for his size, and I swallowed my urge to laugh as my nerves strung tighter. “I see your time trapped on Earth has netted you a prize.”

His hand gripping mine, Regan said, “My king, this is my mate, Lomax.”

Surprise crossed the king’s face before he smoothed it away. “Your mate? Tell me, what defect does she have that would make her so willing to mate with you, Regan?”

Regan’s hand clamped down on mine, and his look practically begged me to hold my tongue. Seething inwardly, I smiled and said, “It is an honour to meet you, King Eastolf. Regan speaks very highly of you.”

The Draax sitting next to Eastolf stood. He was on the smaller side and had a weasely face that I immediately distrusted.

Stop it, Lomax. You know nothing about him.

“Lomax, this is Eastolf’s advisor, Noka,” Regan said.

“Hello, Noka. It’s nice to meet you,” I said.

He gave me a dismissive look before turning to Regan. “Axen has been acting as head of the guard in your absence. You are to meet with him in the morning to give you a report on the recruits. Unless,” his gaze flickered to mine, “you are suddenly too preoccupied to continue your duties.”

“I will speak with Axen in the morning,” Regan said. “My mate will not interfere with my duty to my king.”

“Make sure she does not,” Noka said with a sniff. “Axen has impressed our king with his skills during your absence and there is no one in the castle so highly valued they cannot be replaced.”

“You include yourself in that statement, I assume,” Regan said.

Noka glared at him but didn’t reply as Regan turned to the king. “If that is all, my king, I will take Lomax to my quarters. We had a long journey home, and my mate is tired.”

“Too tired to speak with your king?” Eastolf said with a raised eyebrow.

Regan hesitated, and I squeezed his hand before smiling at Eastolf. “Of course not, my king. I would be happy to speak with you for as long as you’d like.”

He waved his hand at the chairs around the table. “Sit, female.”

Hiding my irritation at being spoken to like a dog, I followed Regan to the table and sat, taking Regan’s hand again when he sat beside me. Eastolf studied our linked hands before saying, “What state do you live in, human?”

“Originally, I’m from California, but I’d just moved to Washington a few weeks before I met Regan,” I said.

Regan and I had crafted our backstory before arriving in the eastern province, mixing some truths to our lies to make it easier and more believable for us both.

“Why were you in the Washington state?” Eastolf said to Regan.

“It had been many moons since I had been with a female,” Regan said.

“So, you decided to leave without informing anyone?” Noka said.

“I was not aware I needed permission to travel to Earth,” Regan said.

Noka’s nostrils flared. “You are the head of the king’s guard, and your duty is to your king.”

“I had three days to do as I wished, and I desired to lay with a female,” Regan said, his voice tight. “The storm moved in early, and I was trapped on Earth. It has happened to others in the past.”

“You should have been here at the castle protecting your king!” Noka said.

“Against what?” Regan said. “The storm prevented anyone from attacking our king just as it prevented me from returning home.”

“That is not the point,” Noka snarled, his face flushed dark green with anger. “You should -”

“Enough, Noka,” Eastolf said. “Regan is right. He can do as he wishes on his time off. Why are you surprised he would be so stupid as to allow himself to be trapped on Earth?”

I bit my tongue hard, keeping that bland smile on my face as Eastolf turned to me. “Why did you move to Washington?”

“I was unhappy and looking for a change,” I said. “I thought it was what I needed to make me happy, but as it turns out, it was Regan I needed.”

“How did you meet him?” he asked.

“In a bar,” I said.

“And you were not frightened by his size or his appearance?” Eastolf asked.

“I do not frighten easily, and Regan is the most handsome Draax I’ve ever seen,” I said.

“Are you breeding compatible?” Eastolf asked.

I didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

Eastolf studied me. “Why would you leave your planet and your life for a Draax you have just met?”

“Because I love him,” I said. “Regan is my mate, and I didn’t need more than a few weeks to know I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.”

I met Eastolf’s gaze steadily, not letting even a hint of my nerves show on my face. After a few moments, Eastolf turned to Regan. “You are dismissed.”

Regan stood immediately, lifting me to my feet with him, and we both bowed before Regan said, “Thank you, my king.”

Eastolf made a dismissive wave, and Regan hustled me out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

I gave him a tentative smile as his tail wrapped around my waist, and he hurried me down the hall. “That went well, I think?”

“Yes,” Regan said, but he looked worried.

“Regan? It did go okay, right?” I squeezed his hand, and he nodded.

“As well as it could, small mate. Come,” he put his arm around me and drew me close, “let me show you your new home before you freeze to death in the hallway.”