Page 66 of The Pregnancy Pact

“I don’t…” I shook my head. My fingers trembled slightly on the vase. I needed to set it down before I dropped it. Instead, I gripped it even closer. “I don’t understand why you’d hate us so badly. We’re not even on your planet. How does our very existence bother you?”

“Humans took my parents from me,” she said and stalked several steps towards me. Instinctively, I started to retreat but caught myself. Head high, I forced myself to stand my ground. “They were some of the first to arrive on your wretched, barren planet. They believed they were saviors. They went there to be saviors. And what happened?”

In a flash, I understood.

“The wild humans killed them,” I said quietly.

Truthfully, the earliest arrivals to Earth had had it rough. Yes, our world had been decimated, but weapons and crazed humans still remained. The very first space ships had been attacked and many of the alien passengers killed, simply because humans were terrified of everything by that point. And we’d had no idea aliens existed! After that, the Asterions and other planets had wised up and sent troops to squash any initial resistance before trying to rebuild. For so long, the Instersteller Coalition had carefully maintained a balance between protection and tyranny. I found it hard to believe they’d throw away that record now.

“Yes!”

She slammed her open palm down on the closest table, causing the vase perched on its middle to tremble. I gritted my teeth to keep from reprimanding her. I didn’t feel any particular affection for the bric-a-brac. Nevertheless, it seemed wrong for her to come into what was now my home and start tearing things up, flowers and vases included.

“They came to Earth to do good. And how were they repaid? Murdered!”

“So, you want revenge? Is that it?”

“I want justice. I want Earth’s ultimate good. I want Asteiron’s efforts in our colony not to be wasted, and I want Ellax Pendorgrin not to be made a fool of!”

My heart seized in my chest.

“Why did you bring Ellax into this?” I forced out, even though I had a terrible sinking feeling that I knew.

A malicious smile curled her lips. “Oh, Lorelai. Worthless, human Lorelai. Didn’t you know? Ellax was destined for me until he chanced to meet you.”

Chapter 38

Lorelai

Ellax was destined for me, until he chanced to meet you…

I forced myself to breathe and kept my gaze locked with hers. I didn’t like Elder Sirena. I felt pity for her, as far as her parents went. There, my pity ended. When the victim becomes the oppressor, it’s time to take a stand. I felt a resurgence of courage in my bones. Determined to show her that she wasn’t going to run roughshod over me, I deliberately turned my back and walked away on the pretext of placing the vase on a safer stand.

“He was, was he?” I said cooly. “Let me guess. He slept with you? You took that to mean more than it did? You should have known better, Sirena.” Deliberately, I avoided using her title like she’d avoided using mine. “Ellax, apparently, has had many affairs. None of them meant anything.”

“It was not a simple matter of bedding him,” she responded. I heard the fierce hatred in her voice, but still kept my back to her. Using my fingertips, I tried to fluff out the remaining battered flowers, making the vase presentable again.

“When his wife died…”

“Very recently…” I cut in.

“Yes. Very recently. But it was well known he must have an heir, if his foolish mission to restore his bastard son failed. Which it did.”

“And you decided it should be you?” I laughed airily, my fingers continuing to fluff as if I hadn’t a care in the world and this female Elder’s words didn’t mean a damn.

They did, though. A little. They shouldn’t have. I barely knew Ellax myself, and what I did know was mostly of a cheating husband and a playboy and player. I hoped anybody could turn their life around, and maybe losing his wife and child, not to mention being rejected by Caide, would be enough to help him do so. Not that it really mattered, anyway. We were temporarily bound by our pact, and that hinged on me getting pregnant.

“Not only me,” she said. I felt her step closer, as if she were challenging me to turn around and face her. “The entire Council. I am Asterion. I am young. I could give Ellax a healthy heir.”

I heard the implication. You’re not young. I’m younger than you. She was raking me with her spurs. I refused to take the bait.

“Did Ellax know the entire Council was plotting your marriage?”

I leaned back from the vase, pretending to study it, continuing to feign nonchalance.

“It was…suggested to him, before he left for Earth,” she admitted.

I read the implication. It had been suggested to him. He’d gone to Earth anyway to fetch Caide. She’d probably been waiting, hoping he’d come to her when he got back from his failed mission. Instead,

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