Page 76 of Bred By Sor'en

“Please, it is not for you. Clayan would have demanded no less. Also, you promised me some great medical advancement to keep from being skinned alive.”

He turns to me me. “Thanks to you,” he addresses me with a pointed glare that lacks any proper heat, “I am the lastremaining air to the Kalzait throne, so it is unlikely they will kill me if I return with a pretty gift.”

My mate peeks up from the crease of my arms. “That is a horrible joke.”

He rolls his eyes before opening the cell door. “You are mated to a mass murderer. The skies will implode the day I take morality lessons from you.” The sound of my remaining chain releasing to the floor makes her wince.

“Are you alright?” I ask, worry needling my current sense of relief.

Hue takes a deep breath. “I-I think I might be giving birth soon.”

Panic strikes me hard before Ravian urges us into the hall, my instinct screams at me to move spatially, but is it impossible with whatever shield they have in place.

“Off my ship quickly, then. I hear that is a rather grizzly affair,” Ravian adds unhelpfully.

I lift my mate protectively into my arms as more than a hundred shocked and downright enraged stares find us as he leads us toward the exit. It doesn’t escape my notice that my mate sees too, her brows furrowing in worry for the unbothered male. But his wings twitch with each hushed challenge. Each shocked and disgusted glare.

He will pay for this, in one way or another. The sacrifice is not lost on me.

By the time we’re at the opening, a voice finds us, the first to speak up loudly.

“You will not spit in the face of our—"

I turn quickly just in time to see a large Kalzait male, a blade gripped in his hand, hit the floor beside Ravian. The prince's guard swarms the area in the next moment. The tip of Ravian’s stingered tail jerks free wetly from under the male's chin, aformerly unknown weak point for his species that I file away for later.

It is hard to imagine a reality in which I walk away from this clean. A reality in which I even should.

“Assassinations or suction, it's always one of the two,” he offers, gathering his tail in the cloth he tugged from the band of his pants to clean it free from the pale blood common to his people.

My mate lets loose a nervous little giggle, making me frown and scent her with my oil as the doors open to hundreds of Xyreliths gathered around the ship.

I nearly flinch as they roar in unison once the doors open. It is the most unbalanced display from my people I have ever seen, no doubt inspired by the tiny human in my arms who cheers too, making an exhausted laugh sneak up my throat.

“You came!” she calls out to the crowd, but one robed male in particular nods, lowering his head to her in an act of humility seldom seen from a Balla’mar.

“I’ll be in contact about our new trade agreement, botanist,” the prince offers beside me, staring out at the crowd unmoved.

I frown. “What trade—"

“Oops, yeah, uhm, sorry about that,” Hue offers, tugging her bottom lip into her mouth. “Prince Ravian, thank you again. Truly. We’ll be waiting for your call.”

The prince nods, his eyes lingering on her belly with an odd expression of dread before they trail up to the scar on her neck.

I shift my mate from his gaze with a low growl.

“Human, do you wish to stay here truly?” he asks her, ignoring me.

Equal parts rage and gratefulness fill me at his apparent tenderness for my mate. Only my mate does not require his tenderness. She has me, so it is mostly rage. Before she can open her mouth, he speaks again. “I can take you to Lunareth now, sothat you may lay your mother to rest. It would be nothing. We have long-held connections within their governing body.”

It occurs to me then that he also impelled her mind; everything in me is still. A horrible, selfish part of me bristles as she hesitates. My hurtful little mate wounding me once again. My eyes snap to hers. In the new light outside, I can finally see the stunning evidence of her bond with our Vena’lel, who is still flinging himself into the energy shield in a desperate attempt to reach us.

Her golden-green eyes are now sporting a streak of opaque white bisecting her iris like a lightning bolt.

I ache. Do not make me force you again to stay.

Her eyes are wide on him, though. And if I thought him impelling my mind was painful, I had not yet experienced agony.

Her hands shake as she brings them to her necklace and removes it, making my heart shutter to a stop in my chest. “I know, considering everything, it’s a lot to ask.” She sniffles. “Way too much to ask, but could you take her for me? I-I belonghere.”