Page 52 of The Alien Noble's Little Human

“You son of a bitch,” I snarl. “Get the hell away from my daughter.”

“Take it easy, Taurek. I was only trying to help,” he says, raising his hands.

“You never should have touched her. Wait… Trying?”

“The Cloud Kingdom serum didn’t work,” he mutters, gesturing to Hanai. I turn to see her shifting beneath the sheets. She remains comatose, even groaning in pain as her face grimaces, causing my heart to ache. “I’m sorry, Taurek.”

“Zephyron, you fool!” I yell, rushing to Hanai’s side. “Dammit, she’s only getting worse…”

I stroke her hair and hold her hand. I don’t know what to make of the symptoms. I get a flash to the early examinations Zaya did.

Zaya. I need to speak to her now. I need to get her help to use the roxolite.

I raise a hand to Zephyron to let him know I’ll be back, and he watches in confusion as I turn and rush out the door. I keep running, not intending to stop until I reach Zaya’s quarters.

No doubt she’ll be confused by everything going on, but right now I need her more than ever. So does Hanai. And I just need Zaya to know how much she matters to me.

26

ZAYA

“Ican’t believe this,” I say to myself as I storm into my room. “The whole time… the whole damn time, Kantha was alive!”

I stop for a split second, trying to gather myself, but the stress is too much. I continue my scurrying about, stacking my belongings together.

I can’t handle the fact that Taurek didn’t tell me his mate was alive after all. Or worse yet, wondering how I came this far and long without having a single notion about it. On top of everything, I can’t help but ponder why she could be back, knowing she must have been gone for quite some time.

Kantha being back can only lead to one thing. She probably came so they can get back together.Or even if that wasn’t her goal, they’ll be here as a family unit while Hanai is recovering, I don’t need to be in the way. I don’t want Hanai to see me as the enemy of her parents, or, worse, an impediment to their happiness.

I no longer see a reason for myself to remain here a minute longer. After all, on my way to my room, I had walked by a couple of staff muttering something about a cure for Hanai, all the way from the Cloud Kingdom.

If it’s from there then it surely must work. I'm no longer of any use to Hanai now.My mood deflates. I was looking forward to seeing a healthy Hanai running around and playing. And maybe things with Taurek could have been clarified. But now, there’s no chance. It’s too late.

“Let’s get packing,” I mutter. I take my things out from cabinets and shelves, arranging them into a neat pile. They look like someone else’s clothes after two weeks of living a different life.

As I begin to put my old, raggedy clothes into my small bag, I’m reminded of what I’ll never have. Leaving the palace means I’m leaving the dreams behind of building something together with Taurek and Hanai.

“It was all too good to be true anyway.”

Kantha and her beautiful face and figure pop into my mind, as if my own head is trying to mock me with her beauty. Even if Taurek had taken something of an interest in me, who am I next to a stunning Kiphian anyway? I stand no chance.

I don’t notice the tear running down my face until it drops onto the bed sheets below me. I run a hand over my face, quickly dashing the remaining tears away. Everything hurts, and the sooner I’m back in my true home, the better.

Just then, there comes an echoing sound of heavy footsteps, rapid and quick like they’re sprinting. My door bursts open, and I spin around to see a breathless Taurek standing there with a worried look in his eyes, his brows knitted in concern.

“Can I help you?” I ask in confusion, thinking he’d have been with Kantha to go and see his daughter by now. He opens his mouth to answer, but his pupils flick to my open bag behind me.

“What are you doing?” he says.

“What does it look like?” I chuckle, less out of humor and more out of frustration. “I’m packing my bag and getting out of here.”

A noise of bewilderment escapes his mouth, as if what I just said baffles him. For just a split second, I let myself have hope that I’m wrong.

“Look, I won’t get in your way any longer. I’m going now,” I tell him.

“No, please don’t. I need you right now.” He speaks with a look of desperation in his eyes.

“What?” I retort in confusion.

---