Page 38 of Resisting the Alien Commander

The same thing happened to Vornak when he discovered Johnna. We all thought it had been the end for him, but his heart’s fire had soothed the madness within and doused the flames that burned until all the remained was smoldering embers.

My comm beeps and hit the button on my wrist band. “Commander Horek speaking.”

“Commander, there’s a transmission for you.”

“I’ll be right there.”

I end the comm and will my body to return to normal. Not that I don’t want every Bohnari to know I’ve found my own heart’s fire. But it’s important that Quinn be the first. She deserves it. There’s still a part of me that doesn’t believe this is happening. Especially with my mother’s visit fresh in my mind. All the things she warned me echo in my ears.

Just because I suspect Quinn is my heart’s fire, doesn’t mean she feels anything for me beyond attraction. There’s no guarantee she ever will either. Not with Bannik’s interest. Perhaps he is more suited to her than I am.

This constant self-doubt is getting me nowhere. I need to speak with Quinn. As much as I want to see her this moment, until the business with the rebels has been taken care of, my role as Commander has to come first.

I leave my barracks for the palace’s communication room. Although it’s far sooner than I would have expected to receive a response, my hope is that it’s from Janik agreeing to a meeting. From the stares that accompany me on my way to my destination, I haven’t been able to lessen the effects of the fever. I’m sure word will make its way to Alik or the queen before I arrive.

Once I make it to the palace, more stares and whispers follow in my wake. I ignore them all. Finally, I arrive and step into the communications room. A different Bohnari male works at the mainframe than when I send the transmission.

“What do you have for me?”

“Here.” He gestures to his screen.

I scan the transmission in front of me and with each word my anger and outrage grow. I storm out of the room before I’ve even finished reading. Staff scurry out of the way for fear of incurring more of my wrath. I don’t stop until I reach Alik’s wing and slam the door to his suites open.

He glances up from his desk with a raised brow. “Something bothering you?”

“I received a response to our request for a meeting with Janik.”

This causes him to straighten and the smirk to fall from his lips. “Clearly it wasn’t the reply we hoped to receive.”

“Not even close.” Rage simmers in my veins. “It’s become obvious that the rebels are prepared to escalate the conflict. Full on war, if that’s what it’s going to come down to. They blame us for the death of Konek during the mining incident, and say that we’re setting them up to take the fall for it as an excuse to retaliate with violence.”

Alik doesn’t speak at first but I know him well enough to see he’s barely holding onto his temper. “I see.”

“In the transmission, Janik says he refuses to take the blame for our actions. He says we’ve left him with no choice but to make sure the people on Bohna know the kind of prince who is ruling our planet.”

“So he’s threatening me.”

“It would appear so.”

“Then perhaps itistime for me to stop letting this petty rebellion continue without any consequences. Perhaps they’ll finally understand and realize who the true ruler of the Bohnari people is.” Alik grinds his teeth. “I have tried being benevolent. But that time appears to have passed. If one death is not enough, then they only have themselves to blame for any more that occur.”

Like Alik, I have avoided any hints of violent retaliation against the rebels. No matter their political beliefs, they are still our people. But when our people die, it’s no longer about politics. It’s personal.

“Send a final warning. If Janik chooses not to meet with me, then he best prepare for our conflict to no longer remain peaceful. We will not take responsibility for a death we did not cause. They are the only ones who can make this right. Otherwise, we will be taking action.”

“I’ll make sure it’s done.”

I hate that it’s come to this, but with this last transmission, the rebels have given Alik no other choice. He has to ensure the safety of the entire planet. Janik and his people have become a threat to that safety. It’s bad enough to lose any of our people to the mating fever, but to lose them that is something completely within our control is far worse. All we can do now is pray to the gods that our loss is minimal.

Chapter19

Quinn

I’ve spent the last two days inside and doing pretty much everything to avoid running into both Horek and Bannik. We finally took advantage of the chef in our own kitchen instead of eating in the market. His food was almost as good as what we got from Erik’s. I suspect we’ll eat in more often to save money, but head into the city for special occasions.

Luckily Olivia, Devon, and Lindsey have helped me pass the time. Including all of yesterday when I spent the day in bed crying and depressed after finally talking to my mom. I was able to tell her about everything happening on Bohna and how it was going here. She even listened to me explain my dilemma with Horek and the mating fever.

I’ve always trusted my mother to give me solid, unbiased advice. Yesterday was no different. It was almost like I hadn’t left even if the connection was, at times, a little staticky.

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