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“Fat chance of that,” she snorted, as she sat on the bed and pulled on a pair of white knee-length pants.

“See how she treats us,” he commented to Tarsus, then checked the time. “Everyone will be eating soon. I’ll see you downstairs.” He swooped in and gave Nadzia a quick kiss before taking off through the passage.

A grin was plastered to his face all the way back to his suite. He swung open the panel and his smile dropped. There stood his patrem.

Torment.The last thing he needed was to get caught sneaking back into his room like he was some juvenile.

“Your matron is livid about last night,” Tellar commented, not looking very pleased himself. “You know I hear about it when you find excuses to escape her gatherings.” Tellar paused, his gaze shifting to the wall panel and the hidden corridor beyond.

This isn’t good.

“So, you werevisitingwith your conclave.” A smile split Tellar’s face.

Aculus sighed in relief and set Tarsus down. If his patrem wanted to believe he’d been visiting one of his conclave, he certainly wouldn’t correct the male. He shrugged noncommittally and shut the panel, sealing off the passage.

“Who was it?” Tellar’s grin broadened as he threw an arm around Aculus. “Umerus? If my conclave wasn’t cemented, I’d consider that female.”

His gaze darted to his patrem. Tellar was being totally serious.

“Not Costa?” Tellar asked when he didn’t answer.

“I’m not sharing the details of my evening with my patrem.”

“Merus starting his own conclave has goaded you into action, aye?” Tellar grinned.

“Do you seriously think we still compete like that? We’re not youths anymore.” He shook his head at Tellar.

“Whatever you say,” Tellar chuckled.

Pride, that was the expression on his patrem’s face. He’d seen that look before, when he earned command of the Paladin. But never in a situation like this. It frustrated him, except he couldn’t be angry, not today. Nothing would dispel the elation permeating him.

“You can yell at me about last night while I get changed,” he said and headed to the wardrobe.

“Under the circumstances we can forget about that. Just look duly chastised when we go down to eat with the conclaves.”

“You seriously want me to put on an act for Axilla? And you were talking about adding to their numbers.” Aculus shook his head in disbelief.

Nadzia

Aculus was no sooner through the door than she climbed up on the bed.

“I gotsex.” She wiggled her hips while bouncing. “Oh, ow.” She grabbed her crotch. “And it wasgood,” she added with a little less enthusiasm and a lot less wiggle.

It was good, despite walking funny and being sore in unmentionable places.

Okay. Enough of that.

Gingerly she got off the bed and wandered to the floor-length reflector. Her eyes widened as she saw Aculus’ bite mark. The spot still stung as she prodded it, but she didn’t regret it. She didn’t regret anything they’d done. That was the promise she’d made to herself and to him. That also wasn’t the problem.

I can’t go down to breakfast like this!It was as bad as the time she went home to her military father sporting a hickey. She tugged out her hairband and combed her hair over the spot.Oh hell! This’ll never work.She grimaced at her reflection.

She panned the room looking for something that would double as a scarf. Her gaze landed on the shredded table runner lying by the bed.

Of course that pervert used the only viable option in the room.

“You better be glad you have a cute, tight ass,” she mumbled to the absent man.

What the hell am I going to do?She looked around then spied the replicator.Oh bless you, fancy alien technology.