Page 39 of Taming the Alien Outlaw
My grin widens. “Constantly.”
“Both females are fine.”
Relief floods me, but also an ache throbs in my chest. Of course Olivia and Mak are fine. There’s no reason they shouldn’t be. I at least thought Mak would perhaps miss me as I miss her. Yes, I’ve given her her independence and never treated her as a pet. But she’s also been my loyal companion.
“Good, I’m glad to hear it.”
“You’re a pitiful liar.”
I glare at Horek. “I’m not lying.”
He makes a non-committal noise that I choose to ignore.
I glance forward and barely contain the gasp. Straight ahead and closer than I’ve ever been to it, is the mountain and halfway up is the palace. The size of the prince’s residence is far greater than it appears from the distance. I try not to stare in awe, but I don’t accomplish the task because Horek chuckles.
“Bigger than you expected?”
“Yes.”
He shrugs like the humans. “It takes some getting used to.”
“I’m sure once I’m on the throne, it won’t take any time at all.”
“There’s the arrogance I’ve been waiting to return,” Horek grumbles.
At last we arrive at the base of the mountain. A guard mans the lift. His eyes widen at the sight of me and his hand goes to his blaster.
“Stand down,” the commander orders.
The other male does so but not before shooting me a hate-filled glare. Perhaps another relative of Konek’s. Horek and I enter the lift and a few ticks later the door opens. Spread out in front of me is a marble terrace that extends all the way to the palace, which is a distance greater than the entire length of the rebel camp.
Maybe I won’t quite get used to it. We have yet to make it inside and already this place reeks of opulence and wealth. An ember of fire that’s been doing nothing more than smoldering sparks in anger. While those of us have been suffering, Alik has been living like this. Without a single care for those below him. He stays up here—in his fortress of wealth—asking for nothing, while his subjects are fighting for their lives, praying for ease from the mating fever that works to destroy them from within.
A hard nudge to the middle of my chest brings my focus to the male in front of me. Horek digs the blaster into my flesh.
“Calm yourself before I’m forced to do something neither of us will enjoy.”
Only then do I realize my fangs and claws have extruded and my veins feel as though flames are licking at them. I picture Olivia stroking my face and work to slow my breathing. Finally, I manage to bring myself back under control.
“Better?” Horek asks.
I give a jerky nod.
He studies me a moment longer before holstering his weapon and walking toward the palace entrace again.
“Where’s your kanet powder?”
“I don’t have anymore.” I used what small dose I had in the time Olivia’s been back in Preska.
Horek jerks. “What happened to the supply I gave you?”
My stare bores into him. “I dispensed it to the rebels.”
His eyes widen. “All of it?”
“What else would I have done with it? The last supply we overpaid for wasn’t enough. It never is. Every single one of us has been on the verge of not coming back from an attack because there isn’t enough kanet powder to go around.”
Horek shakes his head. “That isn’t right.”
