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Grace tilted her head and gave me a tight smile. “No. There have been no reports of them. The city guard knows what to look for and Orin's new posting there will help weed out anyone with bad intentions.”

“Hopefully, Orin will be happier working for the city guard.” I didn’t mean it. In truth, I’d miss seeing him around.

Taking a sip of my hot tea, I enjoyed its sweetness, closing my eyes for a moment. When I opened them, Grace glanced around as if making sure we were alone.

She leaned forward and spoke in a hushed tone. “Orin’s posting is only temporary. It’s top secret.... he is trying to find out if anyone on the guard is involved in a series of attacks on non-Alarans.” She relayed, as if knowing my thoughts.

Thank god he’ll be coming back.... hang on . “What?” I gasped.

She raised her hand. “Males are the ones being hassled. Fortunately, no one has suffered severe injuries. Fear can lead to foolish behavior. That’s all this is.” She sat back in her seat, brushing some of her long red hair off her face.

That didn't sound reassuring at all. How could she be so nonchalant? As a nurse, her perspective on things like this differed from mine.

We both continued to eat in silence for several minutes. My mind wandered to how I ended up in another part of the galaxy where there always seemed to be one crisis after another.

I thought about my students back on Earth who were ages seven and eight. A perfect age where wonder and mystery abounded in their imaginations. Biting the inside of my cheek, I wondered what people thought happened to me when I failed to show up for work?

Not that it mattered. There was nobody who cared about me. No one who loved me.

“Liv?”

Grace’s voice jolted me back to reality. Shaking my head, I glanced at her. “Huh?”

Her lips were curled into a grin. “Any plans for the rest of the day?”

Grace wasn’t just the new Queen of Alara. She had been a nurse on Earth and spent some of her day with Rekna in the palace infirmary. He’d been training her since we were on the Chetok, Trex’s former starship.

She worked, a lot. Which was one of the reasons we didn’t go outside together. Plus, as a Queen, she couldn’t leave without a guard.

“Oh...I don’t know...Clor might drop by for a visit. I was thinking of asking him to go with me to the market just to get some fresh air. We’ll take a viko though. Walking far is too hard for me right now.” It beats sitting in my apartment feeling bored.

Grace reached over and patted my baby bump. “Just don’t overdo it, Liv. Rest as much as you can. Baby will be here soon.”

Ever the nurse and big sister, I chuckled at her advice. “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything demanding.” I grinned when baby kicked my hand in response as well.

INSTEAD OF WAITING for Clor to come visit me at my apartment, I decided to head to the kitchen to ask him about going outside for a walk.

The only sounds I heard as I walked through the halls were the occasional nearby footfalls of leather boots on the floor. Alarans communicated telepathically, leaving few voices to be heard.

I entered the sprawling palace kitchen and greeted everyone with a “Good afternoon.”

The aroma of herbs, yeasty breads, and savory soup filled my nose. Even though I just ate, my stomach still growled.

With its sleek metal counter tops, the kitchen had designated spaces for both cooking and food preparation. The cooked meals always provided a sense of familiarity and comfort, making the alien world feel less foreign.

The two cooks, always too busy to chat, stood with their backs to me and didn’t look at me. Whenever I arrived to assist, they were always at the stove, communicating telepathically.

“Olivia!” Clor’s face lit up with a smile as he looked up from chopping vegetables. “I wasn’t expecting you to visit.”

I grinned at him. “I wondered if you wanted to head to the marketplace with me this afternoon?”

At times, the palace felt like the only place. Like I was living in a safe bubble. Aside from the fresh air, I enjoyed spending time outdoors somewhere other than the palace halls or gardens.

Clor went back to chopping up vegetables. “Of course. I am almost finished here and we can head out.” He looked over at me. “Perhaps it’s best to arrange transportation, don’t you think?”

I chuckled. “Yes, for sure.”

When we first became acquainted, Clor and I began regularly escaping the confines of the palace to visit the market together.

Until a couple of weeks ago, we would wander to the vibrant marketplace on foot.

There, he would buy foods requested by the cooks, and we would walk around seeing what the various vendors were selling.

A credit system was used on Alara, and Trex made sure I was given a weekly number of credits for anything I might want to buy. I chose kitchen work to earn them. Being in the kitchen gave me a sense of contribution.

I lent a hand whenever I could until my lack of stamina got the better of me and it was too much at this late stage in my pregnancy.

Not that I was very fit before I got pregnant, mind you. I’d always had a curvaceous body, with some extra weight on my hips and thighs. But at this point in my pregnancy, I was always tired and sometimes needed an afternoon nap.

I watched as Clor removed his apron and motioned for me to lead the way out of the kitchen toward the staff entrance.

When it came to weather, Struna boasted a year-round warm and inviting climate.

It fascinated me it only appeared to rain at night, waiting until the cover of darkness to water the plants and fill the water reservoirs.

Once we were dropped at the marketplace, I pushed myself to keep pace while Clor adjusted his speed and stride to ensure I could keep up.

As usual, Clor talked non stop, and I nodded along, responding with a half-hearted, “Hmm” to show I was paying attention.

I grinned to myself as I listened. It was easier to stay quiet and listen sometimes.

I enjoyed having someone to go walking with, so I wasn’t going to complain.

In the past month or two, I’d only ventured outside the palace when in the company of others.

I’d spent a lot of time avoiding anxious males when I first ventured outside the palace gates alone. I figured, since I was assured Alaran males did not believe in harming women, it would be okay. The problem was that unmated males would approach me under the assumption I was looking for a mate.

They would offer to protect me and be my mate. Even when they realized I wasn’t their K’sha, mind you.

It was obvious they sought companionship and weren’t picky about who they wanted. It surprised me how direct they were about their desire for me. They didn’t seem to care about my very obvious pregnancy.

We approached the food stands, and I noticed a small group of Alaran males jeering and picking on one of the mixed-Alaran vendors. When we got closer, I heard what they were saying.

“You don’t belong here freak.”

“Leave Alara if you value your well-being.”

Their words filled me with shock and disbelief. Even though Grace mentioned some people might not like non-Alarans, I never thought I’d witness this kind of behavior right in front of me.

This was the first instance of bullying at the marketplace that I’d witnessed in all my visits.

Due to the infertility of Alaran females and their dwindling numbers, some males sought mates from other planets and brought them back to Alara. They’d been doing so since the viral outbreak thirty tenri ago.

As a result of these mixed couplings, there were some younger citizens who weren’t full-blooded Alaran. Just like Clor.

My stomach flipped, and I cringed.

Clor’s lips were spread into a grim line as he watched the crowd.

I raised my voice to be heard over the rude males. “Let’s come back another time.”

He glanced at me with anger evident in his gunmetal gray eyes. “No. We came to shop, so that’s what we’ll do.” He gestured with his head, pointing to the right. “The city guard is approaching. They will stop this from escalating.”

I cast a brief glance to my right and froze. Orin was staring back at me and our eyes locked.

The vendor started yelling when the males grabbed fruit from his stand and started throwing them at him. Several other Alaran males pushed past me, and I stumbled while being shoved aside. Clor grasped my arm and yanked me away from the group.

Orin’s eyes moved from me to Clor and back to me again. Then he scowled before racing forward and snatching the guy who had made me stumble. An angry roar erupted from his chest, contorting his lips.

The impact of his fist connecting with the guy's cheek sent a resounding sound echoing through the air.

I let out a shocked squeak and covered my mouth.

Orin glanced at another guard who was standing nearby, and pushed the troublemaker over to him then stepped away.

With a confident stride, he pushed back his shoulders and walked toward me, only to be interrupted by another guard calling his name. His eyes darted from the chaos to me, revealing his inner turmoil.

I saw his super-heated gaze and my heart quickened with each new emotion that flickered across his face. I could see the fire in his eyes, igniting a profound desire within me, as if an invisible string was pulling me toward him.

As my body heated up, the world around me seemed to fade away leaving only Orin and me. I’d never seen that determined look in his eyes before...it wasn’t just intense... it was akin to a deep desire or insatiable hunger.

My lips parted as I sucked in a quick breath

Clor bent down and asked if I was alright, and just like that, the magic between Orin and me disappeared. I caressed my growing belly. It felt like I was drowning in heart-wrenching sadness that I couldn’t contain.

“I think I’d like to go home. I’m not feeling well,” I choked out.

Clor opened his mouth, his eyes showing how worried he was. “Of course.... did they hurt you?”

I shook my head, trying to clear the confusing thoughts swirling in my mind. “Can we please just go?” I snapped.

My friend guided me to the outskirts of the bustling marketplace, where he hailed a viko to take us back to the palace.

While we walked away, I was startled by a deep growl that vibrated in the air behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Orin's fierce gaze fixed upon Clor.

There was no doubt in my mind if his gaze had the power, Clor would have been reduced to dust. Orin’s clenched fists and twisted mouth revealed a level of anger I had also never witnessed in him before.