Lady Zalora lifts a hand, indicating something to the servants that hover along the edges of the room. One hurries forth, carrying a silver tray. Sat on the tray is a tumbler glass containing a small amount of a black liquid that I know to be a very strong liquor. Kiahn had offered some of it to me back on the ship, but I’d taken one sniff of the stuff and concluded it was likely strong enough to make me forget my own name. Lady Zalora, on the other hand - she downs the shot swiftly in one, murmuring low to the servant to bring another. “If you’re looking for ways to enrage that girl’s father and in turn, the king, by all means, engage in a contract where you two do not mate,” she says to Zann, though she’s fussing with her skirts and not looking at him. “You know very well how that will be received when they find out. And they will find out.”

“Well, then we’ll just have to make use of some contraceptives, won’t we?” he throws back, and just as the words leave his mouth, Vel drops her glass, spilling the fruit drink all over the crisp white tablecloth.

There’s a commotion of gasps as well as a rush of servants leaping forward to clean up the spill. Amongst the fluster, I can’t help but feel flushed as I make eye contact with not only Lois and Jaya, but Vel and Lady Zalora too.

It’s Kiahn’s aunt who recovers quickest, ushering forward the servant offering more of that black liquor, and picking up where Zann had left off as if nothing had ever happened. “Don’t be silly, Zannador. You could get into real trouble if you’re caught using those.”

Somehow, I feel like she’s talking to me. Vel had given me the contraceptives that I’m to use with Kiahn. They are tiny pills that melt on my tongue that I need to ingest just before doing the deed. Vel had said that they wouldn’t be detected on anything - whatever that means. And, if Kiahn questions them, to lie and say that they are fertility enhancers that humans commonly use.

I glance at Kiahn beside me. He’s staring daggers at his youngest brother while he repeatedly stabs at his salad-like side dish with his spork.

I don’t like the thought of lying to him.

But I don’t want to have a baby right now either.

It’s all for the mission. It’s all for the mission. It’s all for the mission, I remind myself, glancing at Lois and Jaya. We all need to stay safe. It might be a lie, but it’s a lie with a purpose - a pretty good one, too. And, it’s not like he’ll care. He’ll be on to the next contract before either of us know it.

Something twists in my chest, but I don’t need any further complications right now, so I stuff all my thoughts to the back of my mind. It feels somewhat reminiscent of how I used to shove all my crap into my closet back when I was a kid, and my mom had said she’s coming to check to see if I’d tidied my room. I used to vow to myself that I’d deal with all that shit later.

I never did.

“Oh, my horns!” Vel exclaims, covering her mouth with her hands.

When I look up to her, I half expect her to have knocked something else over. But she hasn’t. She’s looking directly at me.

“Oh,” Az says glancing between me and Kiahn.

“What?” I have no idea why everyone’s looking at me now. I’m not the one who spilled the drink, nor the one who’s been talking about contraceptives at the dinner table.

Zann whistles low. “Looks like it’s your time to shine, K,” he chuckles, right before Zalora actually picks up her cane and knocks his left horn with it, catching him off guard. “Ow! What? It was gonna happen soon. Aren’t humans a fairly regular species?”

I am utterly lost. “Regular in what way? What is it?” Turning to Kiahn, I see his napkin balled up in a fist on the tabletop as he stares at my chest. His lips part softly and I swear he’s showing a hint of fang. He’s not looking at my cleavage, though. It’s higher than that. His eyes are firmly fixed on the base of my neck where the large piece of tech that looks like a teardrop diamond rests. I look down at myself, surprised to see that it’s changed color. It’s now the deepest, richest, blood red, making the thing glitter like a giant ruby. And… I swear it’s glowing.

“Whoa, why’s it doing that?” Lois asks, staring at the stone now too.

It’s with a hoarse voice that Kiahn answers from beside me; “because my bride is now perfectly fertile.”

OceanofPDF.com

27

OceanofPDF.com

Chapter 27 - Niska

So, it turns out, that big jewel thing that dangles from my bridal collar? Yeah, it’s like one of those mood rings from my adolescence. Except, it’s giant. And, instead of indicating whether I’m happy, sad, or anxious, it can broadcast to absolutely everyone with eyeballs when’s best to get me knocked up.

As soon as that particular bombshell had been dropped squarely on the dinner table, Az had ushered away Lois. Zann had asked to speak to Jaya. And Lady Zalora and Vel had made a quick retreat with the rest of the servants leaving Kiahn and I alone at the dinner table.

“So…” he says, drawing out the word as he drums his thick fingers on the tablecloth.

I raise both my brows at him. “So?… Are you kidding me? Why didn’t you warn me about this?” I ask, pointing directly at the offending piece of tech, currently masquerading as a giant ‘fuck me now’ invitation.

His pretty green eyes flick down to the jewel before he swallows and meets my gaze again. “I apologize. I was just so-” he huffs to himself and looks up to the high, ornate ceilings above us, like he’s asking for some divine intervention. When that obviously doesn’t come, his big hands scrub at his handsome face and he meets my eye again. “Niska, the truth is that I was just so incredibly… aroused by the thought of you wearing my collar - signalling to everyone that you are my bride, that I forgot to explain it fully to you. I am sorry. We can disable the function if you wish. I can invite the collarsmith to come straight away and-”

“No,” I interrupt. “No. It’s fine.” I’m a little too overwhelmed to be interacting with another person right now - especially while broadcasting that I’m ripe and ready to be bred.

We’re both quiet for a moment and I pick up my silver spork, using it to chase around something that’s not too dissimilar to a melon ball on my plate. All the while, I can feel Kiahn’s gaze on me. “Aroused, huh?” I ask, sliding him a side-ways glance accompanied by a smirk.

From the corner of my eye, I can see his fist tighten around his napkin. His voice is a strangled whine when he answers, “like you wouldn’t fucking believe.”

My pulse sings in my veins. I tap my pointer finger twice on the red jewel, my heart dancing erratically in my chest. “So are we going to do anything about this?”

I bite down on my bottom lip, hoping he can tell that I’m not talking about calling the collarsmith out to fix the stone tech.

The ragged exhale the huge, horned alien prince gives me tells me that he knows exactly what I’m hinting at.

* * *

“I had hoped that when this time came, I would have found out your favorite flower so that I can decorate the room with them,” Kiahn says, leading me to a large, ornate room that is joined with his bedchambers. The walls are draped in soft white and cream fabrics, tumbling and artfully swathed over rods of gold. If it weren’t for the overly-tall windows, it might feel like we were standing in a grown-up blanket-fort.

“Flowers?” I ask, a little absentmindedly as I turn on the spot, gawping at the elegance and emptiness of the room.

Kiahn grunts in acknowledgement as he shuts the door. “To make you comfortable. I’d like to know your favorite scent, too. It is my duty and wish to make this as painless as possible for you, Niska.”