Page 14

Horek

I nearly stumble at the sight of Quinn and her friend seated in Erik’s establishment. I’m also a bit surprised Zerim is speaking to them. He tends to keep to himself as the Njeri are generally not well-liked or respected, although he himself hasn’t caused any problems since he sought asylum here. And of all the places they could have chosen to be this morning, within the market isn’t one I expected, especially not in this place specifically. Not after the events of last evening. Not with the way I left Quinn at her building.

She and the other female stare at me before Quinn quickly looks away. I stride to the counter and attempt to ignore the sting of what feels like rejection.

“Greetings, Commander.” Erik gives me his signature grin.

“Greetings.”

“Your meal will be coming shortly.”

I nod. He walks into the cooking area leaving me standing alone and, to my annoyance, feeling like an awkward youth. Something I haven’t been for quite some time. Another person comes in behind me. I glance toward the door. Fuck. Bannik scans the room and his gaze locks onto Quinn. Unlike with me, she doesn’t turn from his stare. In fact, she smiles and raises a hand in greeting.

That same emotion that choked me last night while I watched her dance with him returns. Except now its name doesn’t elude me. For the first time in my existence, I’m…jealous. My fists clench at my sides and I wince at the jab of pain that shoots through them. A warm liquid sensation crawls across my flesh and I glance down just as several drops of blood hit the floor with a small splash. My claws have extended and pierced my palms.

Stabbing agony shoots through my stomach and I nearly double over from it. This can’t be happening. I rush outside and snatch the vial of kanet powder from my pocket. People stare at my harried appearance, but I can’t care. I fumble with my stash and nearly drop it in the process. At last, I manage to dump a portion into the cap and jerk it up to my nose.

The cooling rush of it traveling upward barely soothes the fire rushing through my veins. I pour out some more and sharply inhale that dose as well. Slowly—far too slowly—the burning that heats my insides calms to a manageable level. I take long, deep breaths to further quell the raging inferno. A scent that is becoming my new addiction assaults me.

A soft touch brushes against my arm. I shiver with the intensity that comes with it and curse beneath my breath, because there’s only one person who could be causing it considering the reaction I’ve barely gotten under control.

I lift my gaze. Quinn is at my side, smelling sweet and crisp like a fruit I want to devour.

“Are you all right?” Her voice is like a melody I could listen to over and over again and never get tired of hearing it.

“I’m fine.”

She cocks an eyebrow in a way that closely resembles Alik when he’s being imperious. “I don’t claim to be a doctor, but you don’t look fine. Your skin is about four shades darker than it was when you walked into the restaurant a minute ago. Almost like you’re running a fever. Not only that, but I don’t remember your eyes being that color.” Quinn’s coloring is the one to now change. “Not that I was paying that close attention. I mean, I noticed them, but it’s not like I was noticing them. God, never mind.” She snaps her lips closed. “You just…are you really sure you’re okay?”

Thankfully, the effects of the mating fever that had hit me are slowly dissipating. At least to a minimum intensity. “Yes, I really am. Thank you for your concern though.”

She still doesn’t look as though she believes me, so I hope she doesn’t question me again. “I guess if you’re okay, I should probably get back inside.”

“Yes, you don’t want your friend to worry, and my food is most likely ready as well.”

Quinn nods. “Right, then. I won’t keep you.” She pivots toward the establishment, but stops halfway and glances back. “Oh, and before I forget, we ran into some strange Bohnari on our way here. He mentioned rebels in the city, although I think he was trying to flirt with Olivia more than anything. It was a little bizarre though.”

I go on full alert. “Bizarre how?”

Quinn half shrugs. When he found out someone was killed during the explosion last night he was… shocked. Appalled even. Definitely in denial. As if we’d lie about something like that.”

“Did he say anything else?” Could this be a lead?

“Not really. He flirted, got shot down, and then took off at a near run when he found about about the dead Bohnari.”

Damn. That’s not really much.“Could you describe him?”

Quinn shakes her head. “Other than the fact he was Bohnari? No. He wore a hooded cloak that hid his features. I only got a quick glimpse of his hair and of course the skin on his hands and arms. Oh, wait. He told us his name, except it’s not coming to me. Liv might remember.”

My heart jumps at the news. If it’s not a name I recognize then it will prove that the rebels have managed to infiltrate the city. Or at least one of them has. We go back inside and head for the table where Quinn’s friend remains seated. Bannik has taken residence at the nearest table to theirs on the side closest to where Quinn had been sitting.

“Hey,” she says to the other female—Liv. “That guy who ran into you? Can you remember what he said his name was?”

Liv doesn’t have to think. “It was Janik.”

“You are sure?”

The female nods and blows out a harsh puff of air. “Positive. I don’t tend to forget the name of men who annoy me.”

“Thank you for the information.” I bow my head.

“Commander,” Erik calls out. “Your meal is ready.”

Frustrated that my time has been cut short, I glance at Quinn. “I need to speak with Alik. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

One side of her mouth curls. “You too.”

I pick up my bag of food from the counter and exit the establishment. A tugging sensation hits me hard enough to make me want to return to Quinn’s side. I push it way down, burying it so deep that it will be difficult to make its way to the surface again. Whatever is going on can’t happen.

More people traverse the streets now than they did on my way here. Protective instincts swell inside me. Not only for them, but for Alik. My cousin is a male of integrity, honesty, and one who genuinely loves his people and planet. On its heels is anger. No, rage. That there are some who would dare try to usurp him and his rule. Males like Janik who do nothing but destroy.

My pace quickens as I storm through the city, vengeance fueling my fury. I refuse to admit there’s lingering mating fever at work. The urge to claim Quinn and show anyone and everyone who dares look at her that she is mine. The sweltering heat I’d managed to cool bubbles up again.

This shouldn’t be happening so soon after taking as much kanet powder as I had. This is starting to resemble the reaction Alik had last night. I knew the plant wasn’t as potent for him, and his usage had increased, but to my knowledge he was the only one effected this severely.

Until now.

Until me.

Deep inside my pocket, the vial of kanet powder calls to me. I stop abruptly and take another dose, this one larger than the one outside of Erik’s establishment. The scalding heat burning through me comes to a pleasing warmth. Yet, I’m still more feverish than I should be. A glance at my arm and the dark coloring confirms it. I’m not sure the fever is hitting even Alik this hard.

Fuck.

The ride up the lift is excruciatingly slow. I exit, sweep past the guards without a word, and don’t speak to or acknowledge anyone else until I reach Alik’s suites. I beat on the door with my fist and enter without being given leave to or waiting to find out if my cousin is still in bed.

“Out.” I glare at the staff who are setting out his clothing.

They scurry through the doorway and close it roughly behind them. Alik stands in the center of the room wearing only a pair of briefs.

“You’ve been afflicted too.” It isn’t a question.

“I don’t understand.” How is this happening? Why?

“Neither do I. Whatever it is, it’s not good.” He strides forward and dons the pair of trousers left out. “Do we know if the fever has escalated in anyone else?”

“Not that I have heard. It appears to only be the two of us.” I cock my head. “Could it be our bloodline?”

Alik pauses. “Do you think?”

“What other explanation is there, if no one else has been hit this hard? The kanet powder appears to be working for the rest of the Bohnari population. It’s only gotten worse for you.”

He gestures with his head. “And now you.”

I swallow. At least it isn’t the entire population. Yet anyway. Will that change? Or is it only our bloodline? That’s not my most pressing concern yet.

“We’ll deal with it later.” There are more important things to discuss first. “A rebel—Janik, if he’s to be believed—accosted two of the humans in the city center this morning.”

Alik goes rigid. “Explain.”

I repeated what Quinn and her friend told me. About running into him and him quickly disappearing when he discovered the death caused by the machinery sabotage last night.

“Do you really think it was him? Do you also trust he knew nothing about Konek?” Alik asks.

Do I? “Up until now, the rebels have appeared to go out of their way to make sure no Bohnari have been injured, or worse, with their little uprising. But I also know that people who continuously don’t get what they want tend to become frustrated and change tactics in order to serve their purpose.”

Alik paces for several minutes before coming to a halt in the middle of the room. “Regardless of whether they intended for Konek to be killed or not doesn’t change the fact he’s dead. If the rebels sabotaged the equipment that caused it, then they should be punished. Which means we need to move forward with bringing them to justice. I want Janik and his people caught.”

I’d spent the entire, sleepless night coming up with any strategies to do that exact thing.

“We have options.”

“Besides a bounty on his head?” my cousin prompts.

I nod. “We can gather our forces and storm the rainforest. Full frontal attack. They’ll either surrender or they won’t.”

“Which we lead to a significant death count, I suspect.”

“Perhaps on both sides.” That is worst-case scenario. Considering the whole purpose of Alik negotiating with Earth for brides is because he doesn’t want more of our people to die. Which is why it doesn’t surprise me when he doesn’t agree.

“No one needs to die.” He pauses. “No one else .”

“We lure Janik out. Capture him and make him force those who follow his lead to surrender.”

“We’ve tried that, and he always manages to elude us.”

A fact that frustrates both of us to no end. “I can arrange a parlay.”

“You’ve attempted that already as well. Janik wasn’t interested.”

“That was before one of our people died because of him.”

Alik is quiet a moment longer before finally, he nods. “Do it.”