Page 3 of Dreikx

He chuckles. “Yes.”

“Lights,” I order it. I expect the entire thing to light up like Mom’s Christmas tree, but as we enter the massive glass home, the shutters drop over the windows first, and only then do the lights come on. They’re dim, and that’s fine, though not what I expected.

Both of us see well in the dark. The space is vast and open, with no walls or clearly designed room borders, though on the far end is the kitchen, a large table before it for dining. On both sides are various sitting spaces.

I wait for a servant. When none come, I call for a servant, then turn to the Telean, wondering what’s happening.

“We have no servants. We have the artificial intelligence.”

“Can it remove my cloak and find a place for it?”

The Telean smiles and approaches, then removes my cloak, walks away, and drapes it over one of the sofas. In preparation for my mating night, I wore my best dress, best jewelry, best everything for him. All for nothing. My mate is unaffected. He takes no time to peruse my body.

“You must be tired.” He sits at the table, looking straight ahead and not at me. His profile shows a hard jaw and three ridges on his cheek. Even when he sits, his back is straight, his posture perfect.

Not really. I’m not tired. I’m ready for my mating night. Despite that, I say, “Yes, Alpha,”

He makes an expression of distaste. “You may call me anything you wish besides Alpha.”

I bristle. “Is there something wrong with Alpha?” I eye the stairs to the right of the dining space.

“A Regha male is an Alpha. A Telean male is… more.”

“Ah, I see.” What a conceited prick. “I may call you anything I wish?”

“Yes. Perhaps you would like to rest first.”

“I don’t need rest to come up with a name for you.” Does he think I’m dumb?

After a brief glance at me, he stands and waits by the stairs. I approach and give him a moment to admire my beauty the way my people do, but he simply leads me up the flight of stairs and stops before a silver door. He doesn’t command it to open, and I turn to face him, looking up. He steps closer, and I step back until I bump my head on the door. This close, I smell his scent clearly. It’s as fresh as the winter, not strong or stuffy like a Regha Alpha’s, and I find it pleasant, if cold. My body tingles, and arousal slips between my folds. The Telean appears unfazed.

“This is your room,” he says. “It is my understanding you will nest inside.”

“I will nest wherever I like.”

The Telean dips his head. If I rise on my toes, I could kiss him. His silver pupils dilate. If he’s aroused, I can’t smell it. It makes me uncomfortable because I know he smells me. We stand there, gazes locked, and the longer he watches me, the more I want to rub myself all over him. I grip my skirts so my hands don’t make the first move, so I don’t fall into lusting after a male who took me for my crown and not for me.

“What are you going to call me?” he asks.

“Alpha.”

Displeased, he pinches his lips.

“Good night, Alpha.”

The doors open, and I slip inside.

Chapter 2

Dreikx

The morning after I finally bring the princess home, at my nineteenth-century French dining table, I sit alone. The twelfth-century time machine on the wall reads eleven twenty in the morning. The sun shines through the low-transparency autosetting of the house’s shutters. I am late for work. My breakfast is cold, and still I wait patiently for my new bride to awaken and join me.

Minutes pass. I drum my claws on the table and put down the revolutionary romance book I’ve been reading. It is a six-book series, and I’m nearing the end, so I try to savor it while I can.

Footsteps sound, and I steeple my fingers, mentally preparing for the sight of my bride. As she comes down the stairs, I barely hear her walking. She must be barefoot. I may need Christy’s services, though I’ll need to be specific on the clothing selection for the Omega. I’ll also need to be more specific on the definition of “morning,” specifically the breakfast hour during the first of three parts of the day.

Tamey enters the room and curtsies. “Etin Reg, Alpha.”

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