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"The truth is this: members of my own council plotted against me because I wished to continue the peace with the Dothveks, because I believed—still believe—that we are stronger with allies instead of enemies." She gestured to the bound advisors. "These Cresteks wanted me to fail. They orchestrated protests, spread lies, and were willing to sacrifice our future for their own power and prejudice."

Murmurs spread through the crowd, eyes turning to the captive council members with growing anger.

"They will be taken to a place where chaos and fighting are welcome," she announced, having decided this punishment during their approach to the city and Tori’s tales of how she ended up with her mate. "Let them live among those who share their appetite for conflict, far from the peace we are building here."

Tori had grinned when Linnea had proposed this solution. She assured Linnea that she was more than happy to deposit the treacherous Cresteks in a place that was filled with enough treachery of its own to make them feel right at home.

She drew a deep breath, knowing that what came next would define her leadership more than any decision she had made before.

"I stand before you not just as your chancellor but as a Crestek who has seen the flaws in our society—the inequality, the hidden suffering, the rigid hierarchies that benefit few at the expense of many." Her voice grew stronger with each word. "I invite you to join me in building a city where peace and prosperity are not reserved for the elite, where every Crestek has equal value and equal opportunity. Join me in creating change and building a lasting peace.”

The silence that followed her words stretched for a heartbeat, then two—a silence in which her own pulse seemed deafening in her ears. Then, from somewhere in the crowd, a single voice shouted, “Peace!” The cry was taken up by others, spreading through the gathering until the plaza echoed with voices raised in support.

Near the front of the crowd, she spotted Zelia, her face alight with fierce joy as she clapped and waved. Beside her stood K’Nar, looking somewhat battered but very much alive, a smile of quiet satisfaction on his usually composed face.

She raised her hands again, waiting for silence to return. There was one more truth that needed to be spoken.

"There is something else you should know," she said, her voice softer now but no less determined. "The Dothvek ambassador did not kidnap me as you were told. He saved me. Without his warning, without his protection, I would not be standing before you now." She turned to where Zexx stood, tall and proud at the base of the steps. "If he agrees, he will be staying as my ambassador, to help me lead our city into this new era of cooperation and understanding. But I will also be spending some time among the Dothveks on the sands so I can truly understand them."

Zexx stepped forward, his golden skin gleaming in the morning light, his tribal markings a stark reminder of his heritage. But instead of the expected acknowledgment, he shook his head.

"I will not stay as your ambassador, Chancellor," he said, his deep voice carrying easily to the farthest corners of the plaza.

A ripple of confusion passed through the crowd. Her heart stuttered, a moment of irrational fear gripping her before she saw the look in his eyes—not rejection, but something infinitely more precious.

"I will stay," he continued, "but only if you agree to become my mate."

Tears blurred her vision as she nodded, unable to speak past the emotion tightening her throat. In full view of her entire city, before Cresteks and Dothveks and interstellar bounty hunters alike, Zexx climbed the steps to where she stood and swept her into his embrace.

The cheers that erupted around them seemed distant compared to the thundering of her heart as his lips found hers. In that moment, all the barriers between them—of species, of culture, of history—fluttered away like a feather on the breeze.

They were no longer Crestek and Dothvek, no longer chancellor and warrior, no longer separated by the stone walls and vast sands that had divided their peoples for generations. They were simply Linnea and Zexx. And that was more than enough.

ChapterForty

Zexx lay beside Linnea on the thick pile of furs, their bodies slick with sweat, their breathing gradually slowing as their passion ebbed into a warm, contented glow. Above them, fabric draped from the central pole with tiny bells along the closed flaps.

Outside, the sounds of celebration continued—the low thrumming of drums, the occasional burst of laughter, the melodic singing of the priestesses. But here within their private sanctuary, there was only the two of them, cocooned in the scent of desert flowers and aromatic oils that had been part of their bonding ritual.

The glow from the oil lamp on the low table cast golden patterns across Linnea's skin, highlighting the curves and planes of her body in a way that made his breath catch. Her ebony hair spilled across the pale furs, a striking contrast that made his heart race and his cock thicken anew.

"I'm surprised you wanted to return to the Dothvek village for our wedding," he said, trailing his fingers along the curve of her hip. "I would have thought the chancellor would need to be married in a grand ceremony in the city."

Linnea smiled, turning onto her side to face him. "I wanted to return to where it all started," she said, her voice soft with affection. "Our love story began in a tent.” She traced one of the black lines on his chest. "Besides, I already had the grand ceremony when I was confirmed as chancellor. This was for us, not for anyone else.”

Zexx captured her wandering hand, bringing her fingers to his lips. "When did you know?" he asked, curious about the moment she had first felt what he had struggled against for so long. "When did you first realize what was between us?"

"That first night," she admitted, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I tried to tell myself it was just physical attraction, just the exotic appeal of someone so different from anyone I'd known. But it was more than that, even then."

"I fought it for a long time," he confessed, remembering his initial resentment at being sent to the stone city, his determination to remain aloof and untouched by its chancellor. "I thought loving you would be a betrayal of my people, of everything I'd believed my whole life."

"And now?" she asked, her finger tracing the outline of his lips.

"Now I know that loving you has made me more truly Dothvek than I ever was before." He pulled her closer, feeling the perfect fit of her body against his. "Our people believed in connections that transcended understanding, in bonds forged by something greater than ourselves. How could I deny that when I felt it every time we touched, every time our minds joined? I believe that something greater than attraction or desire brought us together. Whether it was fate or the magic of the ancient goddesses or both, I am grateful for it."

She smiled, leaning down to press a soft kiss to his lips. "As am I. Though I'm not sure the goddesses of the sands intended for a Crestek chancellor to become the mate of a Dothvek warrior."

"Perhaps they enjoy surprising us," he suggested, pulling her back down to rest against his chest. "Perhaps they knew that our peoples needed more than treaties and diplomatic agreements to truly find peace."