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FRANKIE
I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve been duped when I walk out of Mak’s office. I knew that I was offering him something he wanted, but what I thought would be a negotiation went along too smoothly. I expected more pushback on my constraints about touching and intimacy in our partnership, and his lack of concern on that front has me worried he doesn’t plan on accepting those limitations.
The defenseless young man I spied in the dead of night was hardly visible when I encountered him behind his elegant desk with his head held high and his expression unflappably calm.
I agreed to join him for dinner, and he promised that between now and then, he would do the “considering” that I requested. But he was obviously humoring me when he said that. He’s fully committed to my proposal, regardless of the terms.
Not long after I’ve parted ways with the king, his secretary hunts me down for information to submit the forms that will legally seal our mating bond. He’s a lanky male with salt-and-pepper hair tied into a tight braided bun. I’d grown so used to the muscled warriors in Mak’s army that I didn’t realize Kar’Kali came in other shapes and sizes.
“I’d like to get this matter squared away as soon as possible,” he tells me with pinched brows.
I pause in the middle of unloading my trunk from Kalla’s ship. I’ve been on Makiva’s Revenge for merely a few daylight hours—barely two ‘intervals’ as they call it in standard Alliance measurement. Maybe he’s afraid I’ll get cold feet and run off, but I hand the advisor a tablet I prepared before we left Alliance territory.
“What is this?” The nervous older Kar’Kali taps the screen to begin reading.
“A pre-nuptial agreement,” I say. “It’s standard for humans. I’ve had my lawyer draw up the terms I will agree to. When the Ka’lakka signs it, we can move forward with the mating bond.”
“This is unnecessary,” he starts to explain as if I’m confused. “The Kar’Kali laws are very simple. All you need to provide me is your Alliance citizen identification information, and I will report that the mating bond has occurred. Then, you will be Kar’Kali. Easy.”
He attempts to hand the tablet back to me, but I ignore him.
“How nice,” I say. “But if you’d like my ID, you’ll have the Ka’lakka review and sign this document.”
“I’ll take a look and meet you later to discuss it,” he agrees reluctantly.
Once I’ve unloaded my things and left them with one of the ship’s couriers, I have nothing left to do but wander around the ship for a while before returning to the guest room. Kalla and Kaye have the door to their own guestroom locked with the symbol for ‘do not disturb’ on the keypad. I’ll assume I won’t see them for the remainder of the day.
Whenever I turn a corner, the Kar’Kali warriors flatten themselves against the nearest wall. I flush at the realization that everyone on this damn ship probably received a memo about not touching me and not scaring me.
The only one that doesn’t is the one called Viro, who appears at the entrance to my guest room in the afternoon with a half-eaten pastry in hand. I’m flipping through the book Kalla gave me, trying to learn what I can about Kar’Kali culture. It’s slow-going, since I must rely on my comm device to project the translations over the pages for me.
“We meet again,” he says, striding in without an invitation.
“Hello? Knock much?”
He glances at the door he left open and shrugs before taking another bite of his meal.
“You remember me, right?” He asks once he’s swallowed.
“It hasn’t been a full day yet, so yes, I remember you,” I say.
“If it’s acceptable, the king would like me to stay by you at all times.”
I blink. “Not… all times, right? What about bathrooms and changing?”
He snickers. “Unless you think the tub will prove life-threatening, I’ll leave you your privacy. Is that alright?”
“Yes,” I agree. “But this ship is safe, isn’t it?”
“Well, when it comes to Mak, all travel through open space can be a dangerous prospect. Once we get to Kar’Kal, we’ll be able to breathe a bit easier. Don’t worry about it, because I’m more of a precaution for your lovesick mate’s anxiety. As for me, this is supposed to be a cushy assignment to thank me for my lifetime of service to the almighty thrice-chosen—” He applies those words with a mocking flutter of lashes. “So long as we can avoid more warfare, I’ll be assigned to your safety first and foremost.”
“That’s your whole job now?”
“Yeah, so stay out of trouble, eh? I deserve a little relaxation after the whole war thing, don’t you agree?”
I can’t help but smile. “I’ll do my best.”
“So, uh, I just woke up,” he tells me, scratching his head. “Shall I give you a tour of this old bolt pile, then?”
