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I stood still, feeling my gaze turning briefly white with astonishment. A man who would kill for his wife…
And a wife who was more than willing to take the fall.
Each of them ready to throw everything away for the other.
“You two…” I murmured slowly, realization taking root deep in my chest. “It is not just a marriage bond between you. But a mate bond.:”
“If you mean that I’m in love with him,” Cherry interjected, “then yes. I am.”
Silar’s gaze glowed bright white as he wrenched his head to look at her. I turned away from them both, needing some blasted time to think. I curled my fingers around the edge of the kitchen’s deep sink, leaning forward and staring out the window.
I forced out a tight breath between my fangs, analyzing and tossing aside possible courses of action. The more I thought, the more Silar’s exile to the mines seemed the only possible outcome. There was a dead body on his property and somebody had to pay the price.
The body. Probably should have dealt with that first…
If I left it too much longer there wouldn’t even be a body at all.
I frowned, then tugged pensively on the loose rope of a thought that might just turn into an idea.
“It won’t be long,” I said slowly, “before a genka smells the blood and comes for the corpse.” I spun around, inhaling quickly. “I never saw you kill him.”
“What?” Silar asked. He said it with some suspicion, as if he were now somehow doubting my faculties. I couldn’t say I appreciated his tone considering I was actually trying to help the white-eyed fool.
Not exactly patiently, I repeated, “I never saw you kill the human male.”
“But you saw his body.”
“I never actually checked if he was breathing.” I paused. “I probably should have…”
“Well…” Silar grimaced. “He wasn’t.”
I held up a hand. “I didn’t hear that. And I didn’t see you kill him. Come morning, all that’ll be left is his shuttle, his blood in the dirt, and genka tracks.”
I spoke quicker and quicker as my plan began to come together.
“Of course, I will have to alert the appropriate human and Zabrian authorities. Let them know about this tragic… accident.”
“Accident?” Cherry echoed, looking confused and hopeful in equal measure.
“Yes. Accident,” I confirmed. “The accident of the human who got himself all turned around, landed in the wrong place at the wrong time, and got snatched up by a local predator. I can make arrangements to have his ship collected and sent to Elora Station. And with it, I will also give a pointed warning to the human side. I will make it known that unless a human comes under the specific provisions of the bridal program, we cannot guarantee their safety.”
The newlyweds cast cautious looks at each other. A smile flickered across Cherry’s face. Then she took Silar’s hand in hers and clutched it tight, not caring a whit for the blood.
“If any other human males should ignore the landing embargo and wander onto Silar’s property as that one did,” I went on, “they will likely meet the same grizzly fate. Everyone knows Silar’s ranch is in an area absolutely crawling with genka. This should prevent any more… incidents.”
I cast one last look out the window, flicking my tail with satisfaction before looping it ’round its hook. Things were tying up nicely. Yes, this would work out just fine.
“Well. I think that I’ll be going now,” I said. “Tomorrow morning, I will be expecting a call from you, Silar.”
“A call? What for?”
Empire help me, but the boy could be dense.
“We understand, Warden,” Cherry said, giving Silar’s hand a knowing squeeze. “We’ll call you tomorrow to let you know about what we’re going to, um, discover on the property in the morning. Then you’ll have a record of our communication about it and you can go from there.”
Thank goodness Cherry seemed to have enough brains for the both of them.
“You see this?” I said dryly, aiming my tail at Cherry. “This is exactly why I voted yes to the bride program. It’s a miracle you’ve got her, Silar.”
