Page 80 of Her Lawless Prince

“Speak freely, Anwir.” Payton crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. “I am in no mood for cryptic messages.”

“There are those who support your choice to return to the old ways.” Anwir lowered his head as if keeping secrets from the trees. “We do not pretend to understand your choosing the cyborg as first husband, but perhaps it was a statement?”

Payton stared at him, not speaking.

“A way to make your family accept your decision to half mate. You’d have to marry another to have children. We all know Princess Samantha wishes for grandchildren.”

Payton resumed walking through the forest. Still, she said nothing.

“There are those who would volunteer for the position,” Anwir insisted, following her. “They would consider it an honor. I know I would.”

Her father had been right. People often felt the need to fill the silence. She quickened her pace.

“Some—not me—feel that a cyborg should not have been named first, but I’m sure you have your reasons.”

Payton didn’t have time to listen to the ramblings of a Myrddinian follower.

“Do your brothers feel the same as you?”

Payton held up her hand. “Stop speaking freely.”

“Yes, princess,” Arwin stated, his tone clipped with disappointment.

“Report back to the palace. Don’t speak about what happened.” Payton didn’t wait for him to answer as she leaped forward between two trees. She stretched her limbs, sailing through the air before hitting the ground on all four paws. Nyle’s shirt ripped off her body, except for the sleeve that stayed around her wrist. She shook the paw violently between strides before finally snagging the material on a branch. It tore, freeing her as it stayed behind in the forest.

27

“Are we fighting or fleeing, starshine?”Rick said by way of a greeting as Payton leaped onto the auxiliary landing pad in her tiger form. They had him move his ship from the main landing dock with news of the Federation’s arrival to keep it hidden from the sky. The pilot’s half smile curled mischievously, and she knew the idea of an adventure,any adventure, would intrigue him.

Payton half shifted to keep her nudity hidden beneath her fur as she pushed up from the stone pad. “Neither. We’re leaving.”

“At the same time as the Federation?” Rick pointed upwards. “You do know the mothership is orbiting the planet as we speak. How about we go hide out in one of the guest suites until they leave? I’ll teach you a drinking game we play with the food simulator when the wives aren’t on board.”

“This can’t wait,” Payton denied. “We have to go now.”

Rick grabbed her arm to stop her from going onboard. “Care to tell me what the crew is getting into?”

“Will it matter?” she asked.

He tilted his head. “Is it dangerous?”

Payton nodded, knowing that would entice the pirate in him.

“Does your mother know you’re leaving?” he asked.

“I’ll send her a transmission from the sky,” Payton answered. “I need your help, Uncle Rick. Please. The Federation executed Yevgen, and they thought it was Nyle. We need to get them to safety before they realize the mistake.”

“Himto safety?” Rick asked.

“Them.” Payton didn’t feel like she had time to explain her scattered thoughts. All she knew was that she wanted them to run. “I want to take Yevgen somewhere he can be reanimated.”

“Sam’s going to be irate, but we’ll leave your brother to pacify her,” Rick said, as if angering Princess Samantha was their biggest concern. “When Roderic told me they stashed Nyle on the ship, I figured it was best not to tell Ryland. He’s not going to be happy, but I’ll come and get him when we bring you back.”

Payton didn’t tell him she wasn’t planning to return to Qurilixen. Nyle couldn’t be here, so she didn’t have a choice. That moment she thought he was dead lingered inside her, a fear forever changing her. Before, she would never have thought a being could survive such pain.

Something in her expression must have convinced him because he nodded. “All right, starshine. I don’t understand the urgency when we can simply hide him, but all right. We’ll get you into space.”

“Thank you,” she breathed in relief, nodding. “Thank you.”

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