Page 77 of You're Not My King!

“Dealing with the rebels.”

My brow furrowed. “How long have I been out?”

“Just a day.”

Okay, maybe the pain meds here were the good kind. “With the chief dead, the others can be shown mercy, right?”

Fiona’s lips thinned, and a chill went up my spine. “Vo’ak won’t show them mercy for this. They took you. That is treason.”

My blood ran cold, my thoughts going to Tanner, to Cesare, and the others who had gone against orders and treated me decently. They didn’t deserve to be executed. “He can’t kill them all.”

“Roo…”

I dragged myself out of bed before she could finish her sentence, ignoring her protests. Everything ached, my rib especially, but I just rested a hand atop the bandage in support, gritted my teeth and bore it. I didn’t even care that I was half-naked, I had to see Vo’ak, to make him see sense. The humans were innocent, and the aliens had had no choice but to follow their chief. It didn’t excuse them, they’d still done nothing as I was kidnapped and held for ransom, but death was a tad extreme.

Limping outside was a challenge, but spotting my mate pacing in front of the row of kneeling, tied-up aliens gave me enough motivation. That was until I passed a stick with the chief’s severed head skewered on it like a fucking kebab. I froze, color draining from my cheeks as I stared up at the gruesome display, almost barfing my guts up.

It wasn’t something I’d ever seen before, nor did I ever wish to see it again, but for some reason, I couldn’t look away. I was stuck, my eyes wide and watering, and it took a familiar hand curling around my nape for me to snap out of it.

“Roo-bin?” Vo’ak was there, looming over me, concern etched into his beautiful features as he fussed and checked me over.

Fuck, I’d really missed the big lump.

“I’m fine,” I assured him, taking one of his wandering hands and kissing his palm. “Don’t worry.”

“Need rest.”

I shook my head, pointing to the trussed-up aliens. “What are you doing with them?”

Vo’ak followed my gaze, hesitating for a moment as if chewing over the right word. “Treason. Death.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, and pressed myself against him, hands flat on his chest. “But… they’re not all bad. Some of them helped me.”

“Hurt my mate.”

“The chief hurt me,” I corrected him. “Others were kind whenever they could be. Please, Vo’ak. Don’t do this.”

He cupped my cheek so gently, and I melted at the touch. His mismatched eyes looked pained, as if he was torn about what to do. “They took you from me, my Roo-bin.”

“I know, but they don’t deserve to die for it. The humans, especially, they?—”

Vo’ak’s brow ridges reached his hairline. “Hoo-mans are safe,” he assured me, and he seemed shocked that I had even thought such a thing.

“Okay, good.” I let out a relieved sigh. Cesare and Tanner were fine. I didn’t think I could have coped with knowing they’d met the same fate as the chief they’d hated as much I had. They deserved better. “Could you not show mercy to some of the others, too? For me?”

Honestly, I wasn’t even sure where this compassionate streak was coming from. Once upon a time, I wouldn’t have given two fucks about what happened to them, I’d have run away and slept no less shitty, but a whole clan of aliens being wiped out because of me wasn’t something I wanted on my conscience.

I had too much going on up there already.

Vo’ak looked unsure, like he wanted to say no, but he didn’t want to disappoint me, so I tried a different approach. “They weren’t all loyal to the chief,” I added, speaking slow and steady so he could process. “I can point them out?”

Vo’ak sighed, both of his large hands now framing my face. “I almost lost you, c’karuucha. I do not forgive.”

“Please—”

“But…” He cut me off, smiling fondly. “For you, my world, I will do as you ask.”

I leaned up to kiss him, careful of my busted lip. “Thank you.”

---