Page 35 of Maid for the Alien Prince

If she thought that, she was in for a rude awakening!

I turned on my heel and began to march away when Emma said, “Yes, she came back. For a little while, at least.”

I pulled up short, missing a step and almost colliding with the wall. “She came back? Then where is she?”

“She learned you wished to see her in the Pink Petal Suite.”

Was it already common knowledge? I wondered. Did all the servants now know of our arrangement? Something didn’t quite seem right about this whole situation, and I stepped toward Emma once more.

She whimpered.

“When was this?” I asked.

“About… About ten minutes ago, Your… Your Highness.”

She formed an awkward curtsy.

“Ten minutes?” I said. “But I didn’t—”

Then it dawned on me. I was not the only Ulsen suffering from the Steyatt without a female partner. There was one other in the palace…

The blood fell from my face. “Tell me,” I said, my throat dry. “Who told Camila to return to the Pink Petal Suite?”

Emma’s eyes glanced up into mine for the briefest moment, her cheeks flared red, and she looked away. I had never seen pure terror before, but I saw it then in her features.

“Who?” I asked, fearing I already knew the answer.

“Ges.”

* * *

I stormed through the corridors as fast as my legs could carry me. With each step, I asked myself the same question:

“Camila is mine! Surely Ges wouldn’t use her for his own purposes?”

Ordinarily, perhaps not, but these were not ordinary times. This was Steyatt week.

And that meant anything was possible.

During the Steyatt, males had been known to attack—even kill—their best friends and siblings when a female was contested. And as good friends as we had become, Ges was certainly not my best friend.

My father had been my best friend. My only true confidant and mentor. And that meant Ges was capable of just about anything.

Even stealing my Steyatt mate from under me.

The closer I drew to the Pink Petal Suite, the more certain I became that he had indeed taken up the opportunity Camila presented.

I came to the door and immediately burst through it, throwing it open wide. And there, standing before me, caught in the act, was Ges, leaning towards Camila, who looked terrified, shying away from him.

Ges peered over at me, brow scowling and creased with anger at the interruption. It took him a moment to realize who I was, and then his expression relaxed—a little.

Camila, thankfully, was still wearing her clothes, her uniform in pristine condition. I had feared I would find them—

I shook my head of the image as I did not need to further stoke my anger at that moment.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I growled at Ges.

“I figured… we could share. You wouldn’t leave a friend without a mating partner during Steyatt, would you?”

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