Page 29 of Desperate Measures

“There’s no denying perfection.”

She darted a glance at him. “Did you hit your head since I last saw you? You sound as if you have amnesia. You of all people should know better my many shortcomings.” Her gaze skittered off, perhaps belatedly recognizing she’d alluded to the months they’d been intimate.

“You have none. Shalia, I—”

“What’s going on in here?” Resan’s tone was friendly and his expression frozen in politeness, as it tended to be when he was around Shalia. It was Betra he looked at, however.

The warmer beeped. Shalia swung the door open. She smirked at her old rival. “Snacks. I do have some social skills when it comes to guests, Dramok.”

He actually chuckled at the jab. “You’ve learned manners? Wonders will never cease. Allow me and Betra to take the serving dishes to the greeting room while you arrange the platters. My Imdiko?”

Betra did his best to not wither under Resan’s sharp stare. “Of course.”

“Mother will be less than pleased at our lack of appetites at dinner,” Betra sighed as they readied to leave an hour later. “But the hors d’oeuvres were too good to leave leftovers.”

“Indeed,” Resan agreed. “My compliments, Imdiko Cifa. And Matara. Speaking of your mother, Betra, we’re due at your parent clan’s home in less than an hour.”

“You’re leaving? Already?” Anrel appeared so crestfallen, Resan patted her back.

“Your grandmother Elwa is throwing us a party in a couple of days, as she always does when we make it to Kalquor. I’m sure she’d love to have you, bajoni kitama.”

“She commed to invite us today,” Shalia said. “We’ll be there.”

“Of the children, only Anrel and Nayun are coming,” Cifa sighed. “The little ones will be at their aunt’s for the afternoon. I can hang out and talk to the adults for a change.”

“Then there’s the hunting trip.” Oses winked at Anrel, who squealed in childish delight before she remembered she was acting grownup for her uncas.

“Plenty of opportunities to spend time with our sweetheart,” Betra added. He kept his gaze on Anrel’s shining face, mindful Resan was watching him.

* * * *

“That was a pretty little scene in the kitchen.”

Betra paused unpacking the clothes he planned to wear the next day. The clan was in the guest suite that had once been his rooms as a child. Dinner and drinks with his parents had come and gone, and the men were turning in for the night.

He blinked at Resan in the wake of his Dramok’s statement, though he knew exactly what he was talking about.

“What happened in the kitchen?” Oses asked, emerging from the bathroom. “Did you have a problem with the staff?”

“I refer to Clan Seot’s home. Betra and Shalia were alone for a couple of minutes.” Resan’s expression was cold as he stared at the Imdiko.

“What? I was helping her prepare the snack trays. We did nothing wrong.”

“No, but you hardly made your continued infatuation for her unnoticeable.”

“It isn’t infatuation!” The words were out of Betra’s mouth before he could censor them. He scowled. “My feelings for her are what they always were. However, I wasn’t inappropriate, and neither was she.”

“No, she wasn’t. In fact, I thought she appeared uncomfortable, thanks to you standing so close.”

Oses’ eyes narrowed. “You know better, Betra. We gave her up nine years ago because it was the right thing to do. We couldn’t and can’t give her what Clan Seot has. She chose a stable home, a successful career, and founded a foundation that’s done Kalquor a great deal of good. And I, who continue to love her just as much as you, am happy to witness her accomplishing all she has.”

“So am I! Are you saying I can’t smile at her? Compliment her? An Imdiko presents friendship differently from a Nobek. Certainly differently from a Dramok, especially one who never liked her in the first place. I wish you’d remember that and stop overreacting.”

The trouble was, he knew they weren’t overreacting. Betra was having issues as he usually did, except this visit, he was finding it harder than before to rein in his impulses.

He saw in his clanmates’ eyes they knew it too. Resan turned his back and stalked to the bathroom, but he had the last word. “Get yourself under control, or you won’t visit her again.”

Chapter Eight

---