Page 36 of Stars on Fire

Selene instantly felt a stab of complex, dark emotion.

Jealousy?she thought, horrified at the idea. She had no claim on this man, yet it pained her to see the groping arms travel over Kainan’s body with a familiarity she probably would never know herself.

‘I remember when you couldn’t have enough of my bed, lover, don’t you?’ Uba continued, stroking a long finger along Kainan’s muscled arm.

Kainan’s square jaw ticked as he pulled away the woman’s trailing hand. ‘You and I have vastly different memories of the past, Uba. I’m busy. Please leave now.’

‘Too busy for me?’ the brunette whined, her eyes flashing with hurt.

‘Every time you ask,’ Kainan grounded out.

The woman smiled disparagingly. ‘What could possibly keep you occupied?’

‘Matters beyond your comprehension,’ Kainan said darkly, a tic appearing along his strong jaw.

The brunette stepped back and turned her head slowly to look at Selene. She gave her a long sweeping look from the top of Selene’s wild curls to her understated boots. ‘This?’ she sneered, pointing a long finger at Selene. ‘This is not beyond my comprehension, lover. It is clearly below it.’

Kainan surged to his feet, pushing Uba away, his large body looming over her. His eyes blazed, and Selene swore his skin pulsed with light. Then he lowered his dark-haired head and spoke softly, his words dripping with menace.

‘Just because your father is the head of one of the most powerful families in Rhesus doesn’t give you any right to stalk me or speak the way you want about my guests or myself. You’ve insulted a very honoured ally of Eden II and an important diplomatic attaché. If you know what’s good for you, leave. Now!’

‘You can’t order me around like that!’ the woman whined, clearly not used to being told no. ‘It’s like you don’t remember that we had such a good time.’

‘What I know is that I’ve lived to regret it since then,’ Kainan growled, his voice low and clipped with rage.

The woman’s face churned with chaos. ‘Where do you get the balls, Sable? You loved it when it was happening. Now you’re denying it! You’re such an entitled and fokked up excuse of an Edenite.’

The patrons nearby looked on curiously as the scorned woman’s drama played out. His Rider brothers noted the confrontation and half rose to their feet. Kainan gave them a quick glance and lifted a hand, turning down their assistance.

The enraged brunette whipped her head around to Selene. ‘Watch out for him. He’s a magnet for all the beauties across this System. Know this: from Rhesia and Falasia to Galicia, they’re falling over for him. And he takes full advantage of this. What he does is make you feel special. First, he’ll seduce you and make sweet promises using wild meta magic. Then he’ll eat you for breakfast, toss you over for brunch and spit you out before lunch.’

Selene’s eyes widened at the crude words.

Kainan swiftly stepped between her and the snarling Rhesian woman. He leaned into the enraged face and deliberately spoke slowly, carefully. ‘You know what else, Rhesian princess? Your little display of petulant rudeness just earned you a ban for life at The Osirian and on Eden II. Return or even speak to me, my guests or any member of The Sable Riders ever again, I’ll deal with you myself. And not in the very polite way I’m speaking with you now.’

‘Fokk you, Kainan,’ she spat. ‘You’re banning me? And threatening me with your so-called fabled chimerion?’

Kainan’s voice fell lower to a sinister whisper. ‘Try me, and you may get a special demonstration.’

The threat must have hit home because the Rhesian woman reared back, fear and rage contorting her beautiful features.

‘I don’t believe you!’ she ventured. ‘You wouldn’t dare. I’ll tell my father that -’

Kainan cut her off impatiently. ‘Tell daddy dearest that I’ve had enough of you. Take your little entourage and get the fokk out of our establishment and off this rock!’ he stated, his low voice vibrating with controlled menace.

The woman looked around, her face burning up with embarrassment.

‘You’ll live to regret this!’ she hissed at Kainan.

‘You too,’ she spat at Selene before flouncing away, her hips swinging from side to side, flicking up an arm to summon her entourage.

With their eyes fixed on the irate woman’s exit, Selene and Kainan failed to notice the furtive look on the face of one of the woman’s companions. She lifted her wrist comm, which clicked softly, before hurrying away after her mistress.

‘Well, that was unexpected,’ Selene said, leaning back into her chair.

Kainan sunk heavily onto the seat beside her and scrubbed one of his large palms across his face. ‘I need a drink,’ he declared.

Selene waved Jarok over and quickly ordered a second round.

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