Page 32 of A Delicate Conquest

She actually leaned into him a little.

A low rumble of satisfaction emanated from deep in his throat.

He took a step forward, guiding her toward the doors.

One by one, the Qualum fibers unraveled until they stood before a vast hall filled with people—both human and Kordolian.

The murmur of hundreds of voices filled the air, but when Mavrel and Bea stepped forward, a hush seemed to fall across the room.

It was only for a heartbeat, but people stopped.

They stared… and admired.

Mavrel was immensely pleased.

As they walked inside, the Universe started moving again. He was aroused, in pain, and having to draw on all his strength to filter out the noise that assaulted his heightened hearing, but that small, sublime moment had made all of the agony worth it.

He stopped, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply.

Bea squeezed his hand. “Are you okay?”

He opened his eyes again, looking down into shimmering pools of deepest brown.

Paradoxically, she calmed him.

Everything was easier if he focused solely onher.

“Yes, Bea. I’m perfectly fine.”

And that was exactly what he would do.

TWELVE

Into the throng they went.

Mavrel was like an arrow, sharp and swift, slicing through the crowd with precision and ease.

But he never made her feel rushed or pushed around. He moved like a dancer, light on his feet but with every step intentional. Tall and imposing, he kept her by his side, radiating a protective aura.

They passed curious humans—mostly women, but a few men, too. Just like Bea, people had dressedupfor this event. She saw glittering gowns and dapper suits. Some of the humans had chosen to wear traditional cultural attire, donning brightly colored silks, regal headwraps, or delicately embroidered garments.

Occasionally, she would see a human with a Kordolian. The combination was always a Kordolian guy and a human girl, with only one exception—a severely handsome black-haired man who accompanied a Kordolian woman.

That checked out.

It was common knowledge that amongst the Kordolians, there was a severe imbalance of males to females.

Thus, it made sense that most of the relationships that had formed were between a human woman and a Kordolian man.

Some of the Kordolian males acknowledged Mavrel with a nod.

Bea stared while trying not to look like she was staring. It was a little overwhelming to see so many of the striking silver aliens in one place. For all their otherworldly beauty, there was no doubt they were dangerous.

These males reminded her of Mavrel’s boss, the hard-edged former commander who had forced his way into Garner Tower and stolen away her friend Clarissa. Somehow, he’d managed to convince her cautious friend to go with him—willingly.

Bea was beginning to think that Zharek’s theories about the Mating Fever might just be true because they seemed to be able to entice humans to abandon all caution and logic.

Instinctively, she pressed her body closer to Mavrel as they approached the group of humans and Kordolians.

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