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Nadyah sighed a bit. She felt them drifting apart already and it saddened her. But she was not naïve. Adelina was Heir to Draga now and held so many responsibilities. It wasn’t just a marriage that was getting in their way.
It was everything – even Nadyah’s hesitance to tell Adelina about Ian being her mate. She wanted to tell her, but the timing just wasn’t right. Any chance had been disrupted by Varan or Roxy or pirates…being on a starship was even more difficult than being in the palace. There was no place to escape to, no gardens to walk through for a breath of fresh air.
They just had to get through the next few days. If they spent more time on Hai Delta Nadyah vowed she would tell Adelina about Ian. There had to be somewhere they could walk in private.
There was a crash as the door to the suite burst open. “Help! I need help!” Kaiden called in a panic.
It sent her heart racing and Nadyah feared the worst. She jumped to her feet and ran into the main suite. The sight of Adelina limp in the dragon’s arms sent a spike of fear through her heart like she’d never felt before.
But Varan beat her to them. “What the hells happened?” he demanded. The spicy scent of winterflowers filled the room and it instantly put her on edge when Varan flexed the full extent of his dominance.
Roxy came out of her room and eyed the situation with apprehension, but stayed out of the way. Kaiden set Adelina down on one of the couches and he looked desperate. “One minute she was fine and the next…is she alive?”
Nadyah pushed past the males and felt for a pulse. It was rapid and Adelina’s skin was clammy, but she was alive. “She’s just unconscious,” she stated, feeling her forehead and noting the pallid complexion.
“I’m sorry, love,” Nadyah muttered. Then she slapped Adelina’s cheek hard enough Varan took a step forward in protest.
Adelina jerked to a sitting position, eyes wide as she took in her surroundings. Varan gently pushed her back down while Nadyah got up and fetched some water. Amora help her, her princess was so pale. Adelina groaned and held her head as though the pain were unbearable.
“Darling, tell me what’s going on before I torture it out of the winged one you seem so fond of,” Varan murmured in a deceptively calm voice.
Nadyah wanted to know as well. Something terrible must have happened for her to simply faint. The only time such a thing ever happened was when her nerves got the best of her.
Adelina waved her hand at Kaiden as she gratefully sipped at the water. All eyes went to him.
He cleared his throat awkwardly. “She was not aware the two of you were mates.”
Roxy burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, Princess, but you have to admit it’s amusing.”
“He’s serious,” Nadyah murmured eyes wide as she studied Kaiden. She could barely believe it herself, but Kaiden was easy to read and had no reason to lie. How he even knew…how could he tell?
“That’s impossible!” Roxy protested. “The gene was deactivated!”
“My sweet,” Nadyah snapped. “Adelina is not a full courtesan. She’s not even half. There is little we know about those who are more than courtesan, and more than royal. The combination of the two could have endless possibilities.”
Goddess…Nadyah was annoyed at Roxy for blurting such a thing without Adelina’s express approval in front of a male they hardly even knew. But…she supposed it was possible. Adelina was a mixture of so many things no one really knew what she was fully capable of and there was no ‘normal’ with her. Anything that was standard practice for a Kalan was a measuring tool that didn’t apply to someone with so many different genetic possibilities.
“Apparently Kaiden is my mate as well. He can smell it,” Adelina admitted, watching Varan closely.
Nadyah felt her stomach drop as she took that in. She glanced at the winged male and knew instantly it was the truth. The Drakesthai could smell their mates…goodness how much simpler that would have made her life – and any other courtesan’s.
“I don’t understand,” Nadyah said, frowning. “Adelina can’t have two mates. That’s impossible.”
She watched Varan’s face pale and he stared at Adelina like he didn’t want to believe. “I’m your mate?” he whispered. Nadyah could hear the hope in his voice and her heart ached for him.
“Ian would have to confirm,” Adelina murmured. “But I believe him.”
Varan’s eyes filled with actual tears as Nadyah watched him just stare at the princess. After all the issues with the ‘maybe he was or maybe he wasn’t,’ she was surprised he was so moved by the revelation. It was permanent, and before Adelina Nadyah would have said something like that would have frightened the thief off.
He’d changed for Adelina in ways Nadyah hadn’t thought possible. Or…he was finally removing his mask for her.
“Are you angry?” Adelina asked, her shoulders hunching.
Nadyah felt so relieved for the princess when Varan pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. “No, I am ecstatic,” he said.
“Even though you have to share?”
“I don’t care, Adelina. I wish I could explain to you this sensation – the world I see in your eyes. You are stardust with a heart of flame,” Varan confessed, kissing one eyelid and then the other. “You have the soul and strength of a warrior and I love you with every bit of energy I possess. My life is yours, Adelina, my soul is yours. I would sacrifice everything I am and more for you. Darling, do you understand how irrefutably bound to you I am?”
