Page 24 of A Delicate Conquest

Bea could hardly bear to think of it.

Human science had come a long way, but it couldn’t compare to this. Now, she’d seen firsthand how advanced Kordolian tech was, and it scared her a little.

But it was also exciting.

She didn’t want to waste the chance to be a part of this astonishing new world.

“I suppose now is a good time to explain to you what’s going on with our boy Mav.”

“Excuse me?”

Zharek began to pace around the room, sometimes looking at his holos and machines, sometimes glancing at her. His loose robes flapped wildly around his legs. “He’s entered the Mating Fever.”

“Mating Fever?” Bea’s voice rose a fraction as anticipation and trepidation swirled inside her.

This was what Clarissa was dealing with, wasn’t it? And her friend, usually so smart and cautious and guarded, had already fallen under that guy’s spell. That bald, dangerous High Commander—of theentireKordolian military…

Who seemed to be a perfect match for her friend, to the point where even Bea herself had encouraged Clarissa to go after him because, for the first time in a very long time, Clarissa had seemed really happy.

She was the perfect foil for his stern, commanding demeanor, and vice versa.

Bea was starting to get it.

There was something so maddeningly compelling about these silver-skinned, pointy-eared, elven-seeming aliens.

Never before had she encountered this particular combination of dangerous, powerful, and charming.

Her heart was fluttering again.

Mavrelwas a bit like that, though in a different kind of way. And in typical Kordolian fashion, he certainly had no trouble acting protective of her.

Is this why I was invited here in the first place?

It was, and she already knew it.

Abruptly, Zharek stopped pacing. “Pleasehear me out. We don’t have much time. He’ll be back soon. You must understand that once it plays out, this cascade of events will end verywell for you. There’s nothing to be afraid of at all. But… it’s probably best if you sit down to hear this.”

Bea took a deep breath and sat back down. “Fine. What’s going on, then?”

Zharek started pacing again. He was a whirlwind of constant motion, a bundle of frenetic energy. Bea got the sense he didn’t know how to be still, or if he did, it would be from one extreme to another—from a hurricane to a glacier.

He stopped again, this time appearing contemplative, one eyebrow raised slightly. “What do you make of him?”

Bea was starting to get a read on this guy. He was probably somewhere in between cunning evil mastermind and well-meaning but socially inappropriate meddler.

She could see how Mavrel had become so incensed, even if his volatile reaction made her a little wary.

He’d cooled off quickly enough, though.

Oh well, she’d better cut both of them some slack.

Theywerealiens, after all.

“You mean Mavrel?” she asked coolly, not wanting to give away too much. “What has this got to do with the Mating Fever?” She could hazard a guess or two, but she needed Zharek to spell it out for her. He had an angle. She could probably use that to her advantage. “You’re trying to set us up, aren’t you? But you still haven’t answered my question.”

Zharek looked impressed by her deductions. “You’ve seen what happened with your friend, Clarissa. It’s a reaction. A biological process. You’re quite fortunate, you know.”

She’dheardabout this—that the Kordolian form of attraction between two individuals was far more intense.

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