Page 20 of Ravenous Alien Mate

But maybe it hadn’t. He had noticed she glanced at the pitcher just before knocking it over.

He replayed the scene in his mind and then recalled something Miranda had said just before the water spilled. The black-haired female had mentioned something about not speaking to Leah while aboard the spaceship, hinting that it had something to do with the way she had been dressed. Jav puzzled over this. True, Leah had been dressed a bit strangely upon her arrival on his planet, compared to the other human women aboard the ship, anyway.

Had her attire and the fact that she’d arrived late signaled something to the other women? Something that would cause them not to speak to her?

Wanting to speak with Leah alone, he reached for her hand. “Are you finished eating?”

She nodded, looking relieved. She obviously wished to leave the banquet hall.

Jav and Leah said their goodbyes to the king and queen. He ushered his mate out into the corridor with a hand at her lower back, guiding her through the crowd. She was silent during the walk back to his quarters, which only troubled him further.

“Are you feeling all right?” he asked once they reached the top floor of the palace. The windows of this corridor were open, allowing a view of the moons hovering in the sky. A cool breeze entered to ruffle her hair as she glanced up at him, her demeanor uneasy.

“Oh, I’m feeling great,” she said, the enthusiasm in her voice clashing with the worried glint in her eyes.

She’s hiding something. He didn’t want to accuse her of lying, but he felt it in his bones. He guided her inside his quarters and turned her to face him as the doors zipped shut behind them.

“The human female named Miranda,” he said. “She upset you.”

“What? No, she didn’t,” Leah replied quickly. “I was happy to meet her.”

“I was watching you as the two of you were speaking. Before you spilled the water, I saw you glance down at the water pitcher, then you reached forward and knocked it over.” As he replayed the event in his mind, it didn’t seem as though it had been an accident. “You spilled water on her in order to keep her from finishing whatever it was she was about to say,” he said, careful to keep his tone gentle. “Something about the way you were dressed and not speaking to you aboard the spaceship. Something about being from the…what? What was it you thought Miranda was going to say?”

Leah went pale and started backing away. “I-I am suddenly not feeling well. Excuse me.” She turned and headed for the bedroom. A few seconds later, he heard the closing of the bathroom door.

What was she hiding?

Jav stared after her, completely at a loss. But he was determined to discover what was bothering his mate. He strode into his study and sat down at his video comm.

“Call the Martian Affairs office located in the city of Richmond in Zone 12.”

Chapter 17

Leah sat in a chair next to the bathtub, her mind whirling as her stomach twisted into knot after knot. She ran a hand through her hair and tried to think. She hadn’t realized Jav was paying attention to her conversation with Miranda. She’d thought he was busy speaking with the king. But apparently, he’d not only heard every word, but he’d been watching her too.

He knew she’d knocked the water pitcher over on purpose.

Not only that, but he surmised she’d done it to keep Miranda quiet. To stop her from saying something about Leah’s past and where she came from. Tears burned in her eyes. Fuck. She glanced at the door. She was a bit surprised Jav hadn’t followed her in here, but she was glad to have some privacy.

She had lied to him. Numerous times. How would he react if he found out?

She thought about Thomas’ advice to keep the story about her past boring. Well, she’d tried that, but she hadn’t expected a woman from the spaceship would approach her like that in the banquet hall. She didn’t think Miranda had walked up to her with bad intentions. The young woman’s apology for not speaking to her aboard the spaceship had sounded genuine.

Leah sighed and scrubbed a hand over her face. She eyed the door. Jav was probably waiting for her to emerge and tell him something.

But what should she say? She despaired over the prospect of telling him more lies, but she didn’t know what else to do. She racked her brain to come up with a story, albeit an untrue one, that he might find plausible.

A knock at the door startled a gasp from her.

Shit. She stood up on shaky legs, dreading what she was about to do. Jav had been so nice to her. He didn’t deserve more of her lies.

“Leah?” he said. “Are you feeling any better? Would you like me to summon the doctor?”

Her stomach flipped. “Be there in a moment! I’m feeling much better though!” she called. “No need to bother the doctor.”

She quickly splashed some cold water on her face and stood before the mirror, trying to make herself look presentable. Well, she looked fine, it was just the expression on her face that was the problem. She forced a pleasant smile, hoping Jav would buy it, and strode out the door.

Her mate approached her, his eyes filled with so much concern that she almost broke down and confessed her horrible secret to him on the spot. But the concrete walls of her jail cell flashed in her mind and she soon pushed that idea aside. It was a risk she simply couldn’t take.

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