the crazed killer who had been stalking
her. When the lights had come back on and Korian took the stage, he addressed
his people and thanked them for attending the special event. He then went on to
explain that he had arranged a surprise for them and introduced Jessica
MacGregor to the crowd. When the lovely, redheaded human walked on the stage
and waved, there were surprised gasps, shouted exclamations, and general
pandemonium as the nobles and delegates stood to their feet to better glimpse
the intriguing alien. Jessica accepted all the adoration and attention in
stride, and took a few moments to thank them for their warm welcome and shower
effusive praise on their planet and people. When one bold noble shouted out
that he recognized her from the ceremony after the attack on The Ax’Sandre ,
she only smiled and nodded and heaped more compliments on the warriors and crew
of the ship while downplaying any role she played in the aftermath.
The party had been in full swing for well over an hour, and
Jessica had not been able to take more than a step without being mobbed by the
excited nobles. Before Korian could reach her side to rescue her, however,
Zandar Nic’Omar had appeared at her elbow and deftly created a wide berth
around the starlet in order to give her some space. The tall warrior had smiled
and chatted before introducing his sister and her lifemate, a high-ranking
delegate from a nearby city, to the human and Korian watched as he led her from
group to group while acting as her escort.
“If your eyes could throw daggers, then I would be afraid
for Lieutenant Nic’Omar’s life,” a deep voice drawled in his ear.
Korian turned his head to see Mikael and Mahoney standing
behind him, and he reluctantly turned away from the sight of Jessica tossing
her long, wavy red locks behind her as she laughed at something Zandar
whispered in her ear. “I wish the warrior no ill,” Korian countered, his voice
as stiff as his posture. “He has been a good friend and a comfort to Jessica in
the past few days.”
Mahoney snorted into her glass of wine and Mikael shot her a
quelling look. The half-Japanese beauty just grinned before turning her hard
stare on the king. “Is that what they’re calling it on T’Kala? Comfort?” When
Korian’s forced smile faded, she glanced up at her lifemate and arched an
eyebrow. “Mikael, maybe we should leave the party early. I would love to go
back to our home and have you comfort me. All… night… long ,” she
purred, her blunt-tipped nails trailing over her husband’s bulging bicep.
Mikael snatched her hand and tucked it through his elbow as
he surreptitiously adjusted himself much to her amusement. “It is not well done
of you to tease our king, Katsuko. He has enough on his mind without your
insinuations and innuendos,” he grumbled. “Speaking of which,” he addressed the
stony-faced young king, “I have heard back from five of our scouts so far. One
of them found incriminating evidence in the home of Rox’Ana Ful’Tera in the
form of transmitted communications to many other nobles. It appears that the
situation is worse than we feared.”
Korian rubbed his temples and sighed. “Of course it is. What
did the communications reveal?”
Mahoney’s nose curled with her disgust. “Basically, she is
stirring the other nobles up and calling for an uprising against you. Since her
plot to have you marry her daughter has failed, she has moved on to planning to
ruin your image in the press and turning your people against you.
Unfortunately, her plan includes blaming you and the other warriors for the
attack on The Ax’Sandre , and using your inexperience and lack of
availability to the provinces to incite distrust and rebellion. She plans to
insert herself as the elected official through her contacts in the Great
Alliance by promising the population they will be safe through protection from
our allies instead of relying on an outdated and ‘barbaric’ caste of
her. When the lights had come back on and Korian took the stage, he addressed
his people and thanked them for attending the special event. He then went on to
explain that he had arranged a surprise for them and introduced Jessica
MacGregor to the crowd. When the lovely, redheaded human walked on the stage
and waved, there were surprised gasps, shouted exclamations, and general
pandemonium as the nobles and delegates stood to their feet to better glimpse
the intriguing alien. Jessica accepted all the adoration and attention in
stride, and took a few moments to thank them for their warm welcome and shower
effusive praise on their planet and people. When one bold noble shouted out
that he recognized her from the ceremony after the attack on The Ax’Sandre ,
she only smiled and nodded and heaped more compliments on the warriors and crew
of the ship while downplaying any role she played in the aftermath.
The party had been in full swing for well over an hour, and
Jessica had not been able to take more than a step without being mobbed by the
excited nobles. Before Korian could reach her side to rescue her, however,
Zandar Nic’Omar had appeared at her elbow and deftly created a wide berth
around the starlet in order to give her some space. The tall warrior had smiled
and chatted before introducing his sister and her lifemate, a high-ranking
delegate from a nearby city, to the human and Korian watched as he led her from
group to group while acting as her escort.
“If your eyes could throw daggers, then I would be afraid
for Lieutenant Nic’Omar’s life,” a deep voice drawled in his ear.
Korian turned his head to see Mikael and Mahoney standing
behind him, and he reluctantly turned away from the sight of Jessica tossing
her long, wavy red locks behind her as she laughed at something Zandar
whispered in her ear. “I wish the warrior no ill,” Korian countered, his voice
as stiff as his posture. “He has been a good friend and a comfort to Jessica in
the past few days.”
Mahoney snorted into her glass of wine and Mikael shot her a
quelling look. The half-Japanese beauty just grinned before turning her hard
stare on the king. “Is that what they’re calling it on T’Kala? Comfort?” When
Korian’s forced smile faded, she glanced up at her lifemate and arched an
eyebrow. “Mikael, maybe we should leave the party early. I would love to go
back to our home and have you comfort me. All… night… long ,” she
purred, her blunt-tipped nails trailing over her husband’s bulging bicep.
Mikael snatched her hand and tucked it through his elbow as
he surreptitiously adjusted himself much to her amusement. “It is not well done
of you to tease our king, Katsuko. He has enough on his mind without your
insinuations and innuendos,” he grumbled. “Speaking of which,” he addressed the
stony-faced young king, “I have heard back from five of our scouts so far. One
of them found incriminating evidence in the home of Rox’Ana Ful’Tera in the
form of transmitted communications to many other nobles. It appears that the
situation is worse than we feared.”
Korian rubbed his temples and sighed. “Of course it is. What
did the communications reveal?”
Mahoney’s nose curled with her disgust. “Basically, she is
stirring the other nobles up and calling for an uprising against you. Since her
plot to have you marry her daughter has failed, she has moved on to planning to
ruin your image in the press and turning your people against you.
Unfortunately, her plan includes blaming you and the other warriors for the
attack on The Ax’Sandre , and using your inexperience and lack of
availability to the provinces to incite distrust and rebellion. She plans to
insert herself as the elected official through her contacts in the Great
Alliance by promising the population they will be safe through protection from
our allies instead of relying on an outdated and ‘barbaric’ caste of
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