Page 32 of Princess of Draga

There was a spark of interest in his eyes. “Would that be allowed?” Finally, there was a bit of life in his voice and his eyes seemed more green thanred.

“Come with me,” she said, beckoning him to follow. Adelina walked swiftly through the palace to the lift. The spider farms weren’t close, but they had the time to visit them with a cleared schedule. They rode in silence to the main floor. The footman opened the door for them and she strode out of the lift. The enclosed space had her skin tingling from the lost prince’s proximity and scent. Her sandals clicked against the marble floor as she quickly made her way through the mainlevel.

Servants smiled at her and mentioned how the set up was going, a few stopped and asked if she could come by later and check the arrangements. One of her favorite footmen bowed low and asked if she liked the red roses he had picked from the gardens. He was always so sweet and polite. Adelina smiled and then smelled the bouquet he held out to her. “It’s wonderful, Liam. I lovethese.”

She pretended not to notice his blush as she continued out towards the back of the palace. The gardens smelled wonderful in the sun and the trees provided shade. No one said anything about the silent, hulking male next to her. As she quickly made her way down the stone steps to the fields, she glanced over her shoulder at Nash. She almost stumbled when she noticed how intently he watchedher.

Adelina paused at the bottom of the stone stairs and checked the area before stopping completely. There was no one around. The stables were quite a bit further and the stable hands normally didn’t come this close to the palace except during meals. Asher usually rode hisgalinain the afternoon so they wouldn’t run into himeither.

Nash slipped his hands into his pockets and came to a stop before her, staring down at her in a way that made Adelina feel like a tiny bug. “Is everything all right?” she asked, trying to get a sense of him without looking up into his eyes. Her instincts screamed at her he was a dominant, but his scent was too different and strange. She wasn’t quite sure how to act aroundhim.

“Do all the servants talk to you like that?” heasked.

That was all? Adelina wondered how the servants in the Khara Prime palace acted for him to be so shocked, it had been too long for her to remember. She turned back to the mountain and walked at a good pace. It would do her good to walk so far, as Nadyah suggested. She needed to work off her extra energy as much as possible so she could gain control of her body’sdesires.

“They do talk to me when I am needed. I should be helping them, directing and planning, but I handed over my documents to the housekeeper. I trust him. He does an excellentjob.”

The winding path turned to dirt and the trees hung over them, creating a soothing shadow. The mountain seemed to loom heavier and heavier as they came closer. Some found it oppressive and dark compared to the bright light of Kala. The obsidian stone sucked up the light in a way that disturbedmost.

There were a million questions Adelina wanted to ask Nash but most of them would be considered insensitive. She gave it a chance regardless. “What kinds of activities do you enjoy doing?” she asked him, attempting to keep her voice light. Adelina’s mind kept going back to Nadyah’s acts of subtle seduction. She should practice the arts, but she didn’t think now was the best time. Who knew how Nash would react? He wasn’t a Kalan and despite their common human heritage, the centuries had made them different enough to beforeign.

“Princess, I appreciate what you are trying to do, but I do not wish to make small talk,” Nash said in annoyance, finally fed up with her friendly attempts. “You are here as my chaperone to ensure the terrifying Corinthian prince doesn’t kill a second royal family while my reports are being vetted across the galaxies. You do not have to pretend to enjoy mypresence.”

Adelina stopped abruptly under the shade of a massive leaf. “I asked to be given this assignment,” she snapped, her polite and proper mask slipping. She could have said more but she was too angry so she kept her mouth shut before she said something that could shatter his trust inher.

Nash’s eyes widened at the sudden shift in her attitude. “I thought you were asubmissive.”

She waved her hand in irritation, dismissing his words. “I am, but that does not mean I cannot think for myself. If you are going to live among us, educate yourself with facts and not speculations. Being a submissive does not mean I cannot stand up for myself or say no. It simply means I serve. I am serving my future queen by escorting you safely through our home. I am ensuring your life remains intact as any fanatic assassin wouldn’t dare hurt their princess in any foolhardy attempt to murder you.” Adelina inspected him from his head to his toes and she couldn’t keep the appreciative look from her face, her mask completely gone in his presence. It was almost freeing in a way. “Not that you couldn’t take care of them yourself, but this way there is no incident on royal soil that could potentially mar Raena’s ascension during such a precarious time.” She crossed her arms and glared at him, daring him to deny any of what shesaid.

The prince held his hands up in surrender, eyes still wide and the yellow in them flashed under the sun. “I apologize for assuming you did notcare.”

The goddess help her, he had intellect as well. Adelina decided not to respond and continued down the path to the belly of the mountain at a quicker pace. Nash had to jog to catch up withher.

“I did not mean to make youangry.”

Still she said nothing. It wasn’t his fault he was preoccupied. Or that he wasmale.

“Adelina, please look at me.” The almost pleading tone in his deep voice and the personal use of her name gave herpause.

She stopped and turned to him once more, neck craned up to meet his eyes. Why did he have to be socula’tingtall? He was too beautiful and this was too dangerous. She never should have asked to escort him. Six months ago, she had thought Alpha was her true love, and she could not have been more wrong. Why would this be anydifferent?

“Will you tell me why?” he asked, shoulders hunched as though he knew how uncomfortable his height madeher.

She couldn’t decide if he intimidated her, or if she wanted to climb him and wrap her legs around his waist. Adelina cleared her throat delicately. “Why I wanted to escort you?” sheasked.

He only nodded. Nash didn’t waste words when he didn’t have to itseemed.

She sighed and tugged at a piece of her hair. “I know you did not murder your own family to become king.” Every muscle of his seemed to relax at those words. “I do not need proof to know this as we were friends once, or at least I’d like to think we were.” Adelina shrugged and looked away. “I want to help, but I have no idea how. It is not in my position to do anything about it, so I thought perhaps if I could talk to you…” she trailed off, not sure what else to say without sounding like a naïvefool.

“You owe me nothing,” Nash stated, eyeing hersuspiciously.

The goddess give her patience, this male was actively trying to infuriate her. “I have my honor,” she stated frostily. “I have read the treaty and the alliance my grandfather made with your people over two hundred cycles ago. Because we have lived in peace it has never been tested, but I would not be a true Dragan princess if I abandoned a sworn ally in their time ofneed.”

She had to move. Adelina walked toward the entrance of the mountain farms briskly, leaving the prince to trail afterher.

Suddenly she whirled around and jabbed her finger into his chest. “Howdareyou assume I have nohonor?”

He winced as he removed her sharp fingernail from his chest. Nash bent down and brushed a soft kiss against her cheek. “Thank you princess, it gives me hope to know you feel so strongly on the matter. I only wish your father felt thesame.”

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