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“No. I don’t want him to know that I went to the temple.”

“That makes sense.” She falls quiet for a while, her breathing deepening until I wonder if she’s fallen asleep. “You’re going to have to give me lessons on etiquette for meeting him.”

“Fuck etiquette.” He would be privileged just having the honor to put his eyes on her.

“Raiz.” Her voice is soft but slightly exasperated. “I need to know what’s proper and improper, so I don’t offend him. It’s what is best for you. Especially since he didn’t know you were going to take me from the Order.”

“I know. I just hate the idea of you having to be paraded around in front of him. He’s old and evil. No good can come of it.”

“No good can come of making him angry, either. What if he uses you as an example?”

“I’d like to see him try to challenge me.”

“Challenge you?”

“To hand to hand combat. It’s a tradition among the Lords to challenge each other physically when one of them feels slighted by another. A way to keep the houses from forming factions and infighting.”

“So you just take your frustrations out on each other physically instead of sitting down and negotiating like proper adults?”

“Yes. Though there is a lot of sitting and negotiating that happens, as well.”

“Maybe my presence will negate the violence.”

“Doubtful.”

It’s possible that her being there could actually increase tension, especially if any of the Lords take an avid interest in her. There are several who have been looking outside of Zeahiri to find a female to mate as they haven’t found their own yet.

Neev is attractive beyond being my mate. From the moment I laid eyes on her, I wanted to know her. She’s smart, assertive, confident, and beautiful. The human female form is so different from the Zeahiri females, with their soft bodies and supple curves. I could easily envision other eligible males making a move for her.

I can’t tell her that she’s my mate yet, which leaves openings for other males to swoop in. Telling her and having her accept the bond would be ideal, but I’m not changing my mind now. She deserves a choice, even though I don’t have one. I’ll never look at a female and want or desire them if they aren’t Neev. That’s just how the bond works.

She’s in my arms for now, though, and I’m going to enjoy every second of it.

* * *

After helping Neev get settled in for the night, I walk over to Vynia as she finishes her dinner. She starts to stand, but I wave her off, sitting down next to her instead.

“We likely have someone on the crew reporting back to the Sovereign.”

“I’ve already started putting a list of suspects together,” she says as she folds the wrapper from her dinner and puts it away in an airtight bag.

I nod. “Same. What are your thoughts?”

“I don’t think it’s anyone from the lower ranks. They wouldn’t have knowledge of the actual missions or objectives.”

I thought the same.

“Which leaves everyone on the bridge. Cuna. The security team.”

“Cuna’s out. He hates the Sovereign more than anyone after what happened to his family.”

“Agreed.” She kicks a rock as she shifts her leg, and the kyrils all turn at the noise. “I hope it isn’t anyone from the bridge, but Mydax is still so young. I hate saying it, but he has an idealistic bent to his worldview.”

“That’s exactly why I don’t think it’s him. I trust him. He wants a better world, not more of the same.”

She hums as if she doesn’t agree. “When we get back, you’ll have to ask Altis to look into the security team. He knows them the best.”

“I agree.”