Page 29 of Real Scale Blazer

“So it’s a form of public humiliation?” another advisor asked, clearly baffled.

“More like... communal embarrassment,” Quinn caught Kai hiding a smile behind his wine glass and decided to quit while she was ahead. “Never mind. Earth customs are weird, let’s leave it at that.”

Across the table, Bhesna’s lips curled into a sneer. “Indeed. How fortunate we are to have such... illuminating insights into human culture.”

The sarcasm dripped like venom, but Quinn met her gaze steadily. “Oh, I’m full of surprises. Stick around—you might learn something.”

Bhesna’s eyes narrowed, and Quinn cataloged her reaction carefully. The advisor’s hostility seemed personal, beyond mere xenophobia. But why? What threat could one human scientist pose to...

Oh.

Quinn glanced between Bhesna and Kai, noting how the advisor’s expression softened whenever she looked at the king. How she angled her body toward him, preening slightly whenever he spoke. The picture snapped into focus with crystal clarity.

Bhesna wanted Kai. And she saw Quinn as competition.

Which was ridiculous because Quinn definitely wasn’t interested in Kai. Not like that. Sure, he was attractive in an overwhelming, dragon-shaped way, and yes, sometimes his presence made her heart race, but that was purely physical. Natural reaction to an apex predator. Nothing more.

The taste of denial sat bitter on her tongue.

After the banquet, Quinn slipped away early, her mind churning with theories and suspicions. Someone wanted her gone—that much was clear. But was Bhesna acting alone? Or was she simply a convenient suspect, a red herring to distract from the real threat?

One thing was certain: they’d have to try harder than childish pranks if they wanted to scare her away. She hadn’t survived years in male-dominated academia by backing down from a challenge. And she definitely wouldn’t let palace politics interfere with her research.

As she rounded the corner toward her quarters, she caught a glimpse of movement in the shadows. A dark figure ducked out of sight too quickly to identify, but the flash of violet eyes lingered in her memory.

“Game on,” Quinn whispered to the empty corridor. “Let’s see who breaks first.”

The walls hummed their agreement, and Quinn smiled grimly. She might be out of her depth with dragon politics, but she knew how to handle professional rivalry. If someone wanted to play dirty, fine. She’d show them exactly why they called her the Ice Queen back on Earth.

And this time, she had actual dragons on her side.

Well, one dragon. But he was rather large, so that probably counted for something.

“There you are.” Lydia came around the corner and hooked her arm through Quinn’s, steering her away from the banquet hall. “Guess what. Gerri’s waiting in your quarters with a bottle of something that supposedly won’t make us sick.”

TWENTY-THREE

“After today’s attempts, that’s a pretty low bar.” Quinn let herself be dragged along, her mind still spinning with suspicions and theories—and trying very hard not to think about how Kai’s eyes had lingered on her throughout dinner.

They found Gerri already settled in a cozy corner of Quinn’s quarters, three glasses and a bottle of iridescent liquid arranged before her. “Ladies! I heard we had some excitement today. Nothing says ‘welcome to alien politics’ quite like foul play.”

“I wouldn’t call it a foul play,” Quinn protested, dropping into a chair. “More like... aggressive discouragement.”

“Honey, they meant you physical harm.” Gerri poured generous measures of the shimmering drink. “That’s a step above leaving strongly worded notes.”

“Though the ransacked room was a nice touch,” Lydia added, curling up cross-legged on the floor. “Very dramatic. Speaking of drama...” Her green eyes sparkled with mischief. “Let’s talk about how a certain Dragon King couldn’t take his eyes off you all evening.”

“He’s protective,” Quinn muttered. “Someone tried to hurt me, remember?”

“Oh please.” Gerri handed her a glass. “That man is about three seconds away from breathing fire every time another male so much as looks at you. That’s not protection, that’s possession.”

“I’m not his possession.”

“No,” Gerri agreed. “But you could be his mate.”

Quinn choked on her drink. “I’m here to work.”

“Work, play, fall in love with a devastatingly handsome dragon shifter...” Lydia ticked off points on her fingers. “Why limit yourself?”

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