Page 91 of Darkness Bound (Night Prowler 5)
“Good point. They’re unpredictable, these humans, aren’t they?” Alejandro tapped his fingers against the wineglass. “For instance, her offer of belu for you. What on Earth do you think could have prompted such a magnanimous gesture?”
Alejandro’s smile grew wider, his expression all wide-eyed innocence, and Hawk thought, He knows.
It wasn’t forbidden for him to be with Jacqueline, not exactly. The Law explicitly forbade him from impregnating human females, but not bedding them. As long as he kept his secret and his silence, the occasional dalliance outside the tribe was frowned upon, but tolerated. Especially since he was unmated, basically unmarriageable.
But Jacqueline Dolan was a special circumstance. Brought to the colony at the Alpha’s behest, an enemy combatant they were trying to turn to their side, use for their purposes, she existed in that intangible gray area between friend and foe, property and person . . .
Savior and sacrifice.
Any decisions regarding intangibility belonged to the Alpha, by default. For as long as she remained in the colony, her fate remained in Alejandro’s hands.
Also, she’d been meant as a punishment for Hawk. Not a reward. The Alpha would not be pleased to find out they’d been doing anything other than irritating each other.
So when Hawk finally answered, he chose his words carefully.
“She offered belu for Nando as well.”
Alejandro nodded. “Odd, don’t you think? Though if I recall correctly, her exact words were, ‘Even the reason he hit Nando was my fault.’ Which leads me to believe . . .”
Alejandro took another long drink of his wine. Around the tables, nervous glances were shared.
“That she only did it for you.”
The room was deathly silent. Morgan’s eyes were burning holes in Hawk’s skull. He realized there was only one direction this conversation was headed: down.
Alejandro stood, gazing down his nose at Hawk. He smoothed a hand over his shining dark hair and said, “I want to see what the two of you got up to in the city. I want to inspect our insurance that Jacqueline Dolan will write the article she was brought here to write.”
He paused, and the room held a collective breath.
“I want to see the pictures. Bring the disc to me.”
A command, a challenge, and a threat, all rolled into one. Hawk had endured it his entire life, these sneered directions, this total
lack of respect. He’d endured it because he’d never had anything worth standing up for.
Anyone.
There was no way in hell Alejandro or anyone else was ever going to set sight on those pictures. Those were for him, and him alone.
So was Jacqueline. She’d finally given him reason to stand up for himself.
Which Alejandro obviously knew.
So be it.
Hawk put his shoulders back, rose to his full height, looked Alejandro dead in the eye, and said, “No.”
Alejandro had anticipated this answer, evidenced by the expression of smug satisfaction that appeared on his face. “One hundred lashes for your dis—”
“No,” Hawk said again, louder. He took a step toward the dais, and Alejandro’s eyes widened in surprise. “No lashes. Not ever again. I’m finished taking orders from you.”
Alejandro’s face flushed red. “Guards!”
Before Nando and his team could leap forward from their positions, where they stood stiff and blank-eyed in a line behind the dais, Hawk shouted, “Naparqudu ana sepiya, ak kalbu!”
Lie at my feet, weak dog!
They were ritual words, known by all but spoken only by a sananu.
