Chapter 14

Ellax

I had never chased down a female before. On the rare occasion Druea had walked out of a conversation with me, it was with her dignity intact. She was making the point that she still retained control over herself, and would not be bullied by me. I, of course, had never followed her, allowing her time to think and reconsider. Also, truth be told, I usually hadn't cared a great deal about Druea walking out. It meant I could give my attention to other things.

Now?

I was on a space ship, headed for Asterion. Yes, I could pull out my computer, my communication screens, and work. There was always work to be done. Nothing pressing however. No deadlines. No tasks that demanded my immediate attention. Truthfully? The only thing that demanded my immediate attention was the problem at hand.

I had a human wife whom I did not want.

I had a human wife who did not want me.

I had a human wife who had run from me.

I needed to track her down and help her return—for propriety's sake, if nothing else. I could ill afford scandal, especially since the mere fact that I had a human wife would be shameful enough.

J'tet!

What to do? I debated, pacing as a I rubbed my chin in thought. How could I bring this female to heel? Logic did not resonate with her. Neither did humility. She ought to be honored that one in my position had lowered himself to marry one of her humble rank, even though we were both drunk at the time.

If only there was someone from whom to ask advice on silly humans and their capricious ways. I readily admitted that this species, especially their females, was not one I understood. Then again, I'd spent scant time around them, apart from those occasions when I'd taken one to bed, discarding her as soon as copulation was complete. I'd also passed the occasional minutes in the company of human ambassadors, but they barely attracted my notice. No. Humans were not a species I understood. Nor had I ever cared to.

I continued to pace, my feet moving restlessly from one end of my bedchamber to the other as my mind spun over my quandary.

If Council did not relent, I would have to alter my stance on ignoring humans. Trying to understand them would become crucial.

Even as I accepted this sorrowful fact, an idea sprang to mind.

Caide.

My reckless bastard son had fallen for a human woman, who he claimed was his mate. Although I doubted the veracity of such claims, I could not deny my son's love for his bride. He'd given up a life of wealth, ease, power, and prestige, with the chance to one day step into my position, all for that one female.

Perhaps he could help me understand.

My soul recoiled. I was currently on my way home from Earth, having been rejected by the son I'd—truth be told—always rejected, and I needed advice from him? After I'd spurned and mocked him for choosing a human wife?

J'tet!

How had I gotten into this mess?

I sank into the nearest chair, seeking any form of support.

Normally, I was quite adept at thinking through solutions to even the thorniest of problems. It was not in my nature to surrender, to give up, to lie down and accept defeat. But this particular chain of events was proving monstrously difficult to overcome. Mostly, I wanted to fetch myself a drink from my liquor cabinet. Although alcohol would serve for nothing in the long run, it would temporarily relieve my distress.

No.

Alcohol was what had gotten me into this mess to begin with. If I'd not brought this Lorelai, this human woman, on board the ship to bed her, I would never have given her lyven to begin with. I'd never have imbibed myself. We would never have gotten drunk. We would not be married. The Council would not have decided my having a human wife and siring a human heir was a grand gesture of goodwill, peace, and harmony between the humans on Earth and the Asterion Overlords.

I groaned in despair.

No more lyven. Ever, I swore. Lyven is what led me to this sorry impasse.

And if I could not drink, I must act. I knew that. But, what to do?

You could start by finding the human female, I finally decided. One step at a time. Find her. Act. Do something. Anything except sit and wallow in despair.

Releasing a breath, I pressed my palms on my thighs and stood. Wallowing was for the weak. I was not weak. I would search the ship from top to bottom and side to side if I must. I had to find her. Much as I loathed to admit it, the idea of her putting herself in any sort of peril was loathsome.

You need her, my conscience whispered.

Was that all?

My tangled thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

I moved to answer it, expecting to see a server—possibly the Doreethan female who had shown glimmers of interest in me. Perhaps the captain had received another message from the Council that he wished to share with me.

No.

On the other side of door stood the human woman.

My wife.