Page 164 of The Alpha

Q sat on his haunches. “Melvale is sad. I can feel itsssk.”

“I suppose I am, my friend.” He petted Q on the nose. “I… I am trying to get used to the other side of me.”

“Can I seesssk?”

“The Alpha?”

“Yessssk.”

“Are you sure you want to?”

Q stood and began to bounce. “I want to play with himsssk!”

Melvale thought about that for a moment. Q was formidable, even for other Sarian. But the Alpha? “Very well.”

Q bounced some more, this time in anticipation. It was hard for him to play with the other Sarian, he was too big and powerful, and it was too easy to hurt one of them.

Melvale wasn’t sure how to summon that part of him, he’d been too busy trying to suppress him. “Um, perhaps if you struck me?”

“Whatsssk?”

“Hit me, Q. Then I’m sure you’ll have something to play with.”

Q cocked his head. “Okaysssk.” He swatted him with one leg and sent him flying across his living room to the wall beyond. He hit it hard, bouncing off and landing on the floor in a heap.

“Melvalesssk?”

Melvale rose, his eyes bright blue. His voice, deep and guttural. “You wish to play?”

Q bounced up and down again. “I dosssk!”

“Then let us play, beast.”

To Q’s utter delight, Melvale lunged, and their fight began.

Q hit the same wall, bounced off, and also landed on the floor in a heap. He jumped up, chittering in delight. “Againsssk!”

Melvale smiled. “Oh, stab me,” he said, voice still gravelly. “I do believe this is going to be fun.”

51

Zerbe entered one of the smaller kitchens in the palace and went straight to Shaveer, the chef that ran it. The shorter Muiraran saw him approach and bowed. “Judge, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Zerbe did a quick visual sweep of the kitchen. There were a couple of cooks at work and one doing dishes. He gave his attention back to Shaveer and spoke in a low tone. “I need to speak with her.”

Shaveer blanched. “Now?” He glanced toward the back of the kitchen. “She is in the cold rooms below, working.”

“Take me to her.” Zerbe glanced around again. No one paid them any mind. Due to the kitchen’s location in the palace, Zerbe wasn’t the only high official to enter and ask for a meal to be prepared.

Shaveer bowed then led him to a door behind some shelves of dishes. He unlocked it from a ring of keys at his belt, led Zerbe through, then locked it from the other side. That done he led Zerbe down a series of stone steps to a landing, unlocked another door, and went through the same procedure.

Zerbe shivered. The lower they went, the colder it got. When they reached the bottom of the next set of stairs, Shaveer unlocked a third door and led Zerbe inside. The room was huge, its shelves lined with fruits and vegetables of all kinds, along with jars and barrels of different food stuffs.

Shaveer led him across the room to yet another door and unlocked it. When he opened this door, a white cold mist escaped. It was the freezer. Inside were blocks of ice which served to preserve the haunches of meat, fowl and fish hanging everywhere. A lone figure stood at a table wrapped in layers of clothing, holding a clipboard.

“Lazy bones,” Shaveer called to the figure. “Someone is here to see you.”

The figure turned around, but was so bundle up, Zerbe couldn’t see a face. Only a pair of wide, blue eyes. “Leave us,” Zerbe said.

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