Page 21 of Night’s Fall (The Four Realms #1)

They were holograms, but still…

After I imparted that news, the decibel level of their screams nearly shattered the windows.

* * *

It was late, I was in bed with my tablet and stylus, fiddling with a design I’d scanned in from a sketch, when the screen flashed green with an incoming vid comm.

The words HRH Prince Aleksei showed and faded across the top, and I immediately said, “ Engage video comm.”

His face came on the screen.

“Excellent news, drahko ,” I shared. “ I know what a shrimp fork is.”

At me calling him drahko , another old-world endearment, exclusively masculine, which meant “my little dragon,” the warmth that infused his expression caused the same through my body.

At my announcement regarding the shrimp fork, he burst out laughing.

“I cannot express how relieved I am you won’t embarrass me during the fish course at a state dinner,” he drawled.

Before I could respond, Nova crawled onto my chest, leaned forward and sniffed the tablet.

“Hello, love,” Aleksei greeted her.

And again, warmth flooded my body.

I mean…

Was this male for real?

She marked the tablet with her ear before she lay down on my chest and started purring.

“You’re in bed,” he noted.

“Just finishing one last 3D of a design before I call it a night,” I told him.

“I won’t keep you, I just wanted to say goodnight.”

I wanted him to keep me.

To that end, I asked, “ How’d your day go?”

“Darling, you need to sleep,” he replied.

“Are you tired?” I inquired.

“Aren’t you?”

I was, but with him on display, I also was not.

“I’m more curious about what you’re doing on Thoth , if you want to tell me.”

“You can know anything about me, Laura .”

Totally.

This male was not for real.

“Then tell me, how’d your day go?” I urged.

He gave me what I wished for, telling me about the state-of-the-art loading dock one of his construction companies was in the midst of building, a major coup for the aging satellite.

Tech had advanced so much, and so many other space stations had been built since, the beings that lived on Thoth were experiencing lower tourism, faltering trade and the resultant heightening of the cost of living, which wasn’t awesome, considering there were a lot of beings out of work.

If newer ships found it easier to dock and offload, more supplies and materials could be brought in, upgrades could be done. But since Aleksei was already exclusively using labor sourced from those who lived there, he was already infusing much-needed capital into the local economy.

There were issues, however, because a rival construction company saw the merits of having the offloading permits, and they were playing games using the local council, which was stalling construction.

Not to mention, the Space Junkies , an outspoken protest group whose mission it was to dismantle all of what they called “space debris.” This included industrial, botanical and resort stations, but also unmanned tech and energy satellites, which were essential to planetary and off-planet infrastructure and the mustering and storing of solar power to fuel it.

They were working hard to stymie the progress of Aleksi’s construction of the docks, saying Thoth was outdated and therefore should be decommissioned and demolished.

“The locals aren’t happy about the Junkies flying in and sharing loudly their home should be struck, returned to the planet and melted for reuse.

It’s not a good situation, and the council isn’t helping by waffling between bribes from my rivals, what it would mean if they pissed me off, and pressure from Junkie supporters,” he said.

“It sounds like a mess,” I stated the obvious.

“Fortunately, I’m the only one paying salaries, which have been halted because the work has been.

Because of this, there’s an increasingly loud call for a general election to replace some of the council members.

They tend to enjoy their positions. We’re committed to the project, but we can’t pay beings not to work, and it isn’t us that’s halting progress due to bureaucratical bullshit and implied demands to best the bribes my competitors are offering to delay the approval of permits.

This kind of thing does get messy and protracted, but in the end, the beings hold the power. ”

“Well, I hope whenever that end might be doesn’t make those beings suffer any more than they already are.”

“Several of my meetings have been with union leaders,” he shared. “ We’re forming a united front. I’m hoping by the time I leave, enough members of the council will buckle, and they can be back at work before I step on my ship.”

I hoped that too.

However…

“This is important, Aleksei ,” I told him something he knew. “ If you haven’t done all you need to do, Cat’s opening will survive. And I’ll be with Sirk , so you won’t have to worry about me.”

“I’ve never been certain I could make it, darling. But I’m delighted you’ll understand if I can’t.”

“Of course.”

“It’s late, but since we’re discussing this, it’s an opportunity I can’t let slide.”

I was confused.

“Sorry?”

“First, I knew you were concerned about telling me how deeply you descend into your creative process. But at the time, considering you didn’t know you were my mate, and I had loincloths to show you…

”— I grinned, he reciprocated—“ I didn’t get into it.

But I find it immensely attractive you have a passion, you allow yourself to sink into it and warn those in your life you need that. ”

I found it immensely attractive that he found it the same.

“I’m glad,” I whispered by way of sharing that, but even if they were quiet, there was a lot of feeling in those two words.

“Further, it means a great deal to me you give as good as you get.”

I was confused again.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, we’ll discuss her to whatever extent you need me to explain.

But at this point, since it’s apropos, I’ll share that one of the various reasons I could not carry through my promise to Anna was that she refused to understand my life was not simply about being a prince to the realm, visiting hospitals, shaking hands, wearing tuxedos and existing solely to rub the little beings’ noses in the fact they will always be the little beings. ”

I didn’t know how to process the clear evidence there was some bitterness behind his break with Princess Anna .

This wasn’t a surprise, as such. A break was a break, and they weren’t ever fun.

But although their break was not long ago, no new female in a male’s life wanted to think there was any feeling lingering, outside vague fondness, or alternately, annoyance, or something of the like.

I also couldn’t process the unexpected knowledge Princess Anna , the fair and ethereal, was, at least according to Aleksei , a classist bitch.

As he remained silent, it was clear some response was expected of me, however, all I could come up with was, “ Um .”

“We’ve known each other since we were children,” he said quietly.

“ And we’ve been friends since we first met.

As adults, a romance sparked from that, and I’m not proud of how easily she deceived me, but she did.

In retrospect, I see this mostly extended from the foundation of our many years being friends, and the fact we had a lot in common, both of us being the children of royals. It was still a long con on her part.”

He paused.

I wasn’t sure if he was waiting for me to say something, but since what he’d already told me had me mildly reeling, and I didn’t, he continued.

“I was not expecting ever to meet my mate, bissi . The last fated ones of my line were my great-great grandfather and grandmother. My parents were delighted with the match with Anna . There are…things happening with Sky’s Edge , and the alliance would have positive political outcomes.

But Anna had no patience with the pleasure I derived from the work I do outside my royal duties.

She had even less with my desire to keep as much of my life private as I can manage.

And she required far more attention than any female I’ve been connected with.

It was all immensely draining, then frustrating, annoying, and finally, intolerable.

It was clear she wasn’t the female for me, even if I’d never met you.

But I’ve now met you. And the point I’m trying very poorly to make is, it’s coming clear the many reasons why you are. ”

“Okay,” I whispered.

He released a heavy sigh and stated, “ I hesitate to share this, but I hope you come to understand, in my position, this isn’t expected, and is sometimes actively discouraged. I wasn’t in love with her. I cared for her, had affection for her, was attracted to her, but I didn’t love her.”

“Okay,” I repeated.

“Bloody hell, I fucked this,” he muttered.

“No, it’s all right,” I assured. “ We would have to talk about it. And I get you. I’m relieved you understand what I do for work isn’t a job, it’s part of who I am, and if I wasn’t able to do it how I have to do it, I don’t know how I’d react.

I don’t think I could live with that. So yeah. I get you.”

“I’m glad.”

“But, since you two broke it off, are there political ramifications? And since we’re, well…what we are, and that will eventually be known, will that cause more problems?”

“Anna will be pissed. Although how she gives it, and expects to get it, is unhealthy, the bottom line is, she was in love with me.”

Fabulous.

“Queen Delanta isn’t my biggest fan,” he went on.

Queen Delanta of Dawn’s Break was a classist bitch, that was well-known, so screw her.

“King Dagsbrun is very well aware his daughter is a pain in the ass and that I’m not a man to be leashed, so it was obvious he was expecting it. And Prince Bainan was surprised we ever got together in the first place.”

That was a relief.

“So that’s good.”

“It is, but it doesn’t matter. It’s over and fate has decided my queen. Fortunately for me, fate has excellent taste.”

Even if his words made me feel gushy, I gave him the side eye. “ You’re very smooth.”

“Yes, darling,” he drawled. “ I very much am.”

My legs grew restless at his promise.

Nova lifted her head.

Jupiter, who lay close to my feet, jumped off the bed to share his aversion to me reminding him I existed.

“And now, I’ll let you finish your 3D so you can sleep,” he finished.

“All right.”

“Just so you know, you can comm anytime. If I can’t take it, I’ll reach out when I can.”

I smiled at him. “ All right.”

“Sleep well, Laura .”

“You too, Aleksei . ’ Night .”

“’Night, darling.”

We disconnected.

I didn’t finish my design.

I set the tablet aside, stroked Nova , then stroked Comet when he joined us, settling down my side facing away, his indication he wanted booty scratches (something he got).

And I processed through all Aleksei had told me.

What was left unsaid: he was bitter, and maybe hurt, that in what had happened with Anna , he’d lost a friend.

But she was then.

And I was now.

I was also the future.

So I could live with that.

The only problem was, Aleksei was honest, forthcoming, committed to sharing, allowing me to get to know him, doing it easily, quickly and deeply.

This meant, eventually, I’d have to give that back.

And I dreaded that eventuality…for two reasons.

But eventually wasn’t now.

Now was about Aleksei saying, Bloody hell, I fucked this , in a tone where the silk of his voice snagged, because it meant so much to him not to fuck it because he didn’t want to upset me.

And I could very happily live in a now like that.

So I would.

“Lights off,” I called.

My room went dark.

And in the middle of kitty strokes and booty scratches, without that first issue, I fell fast asleep.

I did it deeply.

And I didn’t dream, not good ones, but better, not bad.