Page 27 of Saved By My Alien Husband

26

DELPHINE

O nce Haven had calmed, we were led through lifeless buildings to a long room with a lone table in the middle. If I thought our dome felt lonely, this was much worse. There was no art, no bustling groups of people, and it was so silent that I felt like I could hear people breathing.

He left his protectors outside, only the mystery woman following Leader Halston inside. He sat at one end of the long table, while King Candor took the opposite seat. Two leaders in a standoff that shouldn't be.

I sat beside Haven, with Daryl standing like a sentinel behind us. Haven’s subtle signals sent Jalen and Mavel to the opposite wall, behind the mystery woman. Alexandra sat next to me before my parents could, and Michael beside her. My parents took the hint and sat opposite instead, near the stranger. Her eyes were restless, flitting from person to person. The cuffed bracelet on her wrist caught my eye, a small detail that seemed like it mattered, since no one else had one. Was she his advisor, like Mavel was to King Candor? A wife? I doubted it—her hand was bare of rings.

I glanced at the small burn on my hand that said Haven was mine. It was healing nicely, no longer tingling throughout the day.

“Tell me, King Candor,” Halston began, his voice as smooth as the unblemished table between us, “what would it be like if we joined your ship?”

King Candor opened his mouth, but Michael jumped in before he could respond. “What do you mean if ? If you don’t come, everyone here dies.”

Halston’s eyes narrowed, his lips twisting into a sly smirk. “Just because your saviors failed doesn’t mean mine will.”

The disdain in his voice made Alexandra draw in a sharp breath. My pulse quickened as I caught the way the mystery woman’s gaze darted nervously between Halston and Michael.

King Candor said, “We are not forcing anyone to join us. But we do need to take custody of any feline species in your dome, as they are part of our genetic ancestry. While joining us is voluntary, Michael is correct, time is running out. If you remain here, your survival is unlikely. On our ship, everyone contributes through work or education, under the guidance of my leadership, Haven’s, and the joint task force led by Michael and Delphine.” He gestured to each of us around the table.

Halston let out a short, derisive laugh. “I disagree with much of what you’ve just said.”

Haven tensed beside me, and I instinctively reached for his hand under the table, grounding him.

“Oh?” King Candor asked, his tone even, inviting elaboration.

Halston’s smirk widened as he leaned forward, his elbows resting arrogantly on the table. “First, we don’t have any cats. We left them outside years ago—useless creatures, too much effort to keep.”

King Candor's face fell, a hand to his chest. He seemed stunned into silence, while Haven's body seemed to start to vibrate, his tail moving behind us. His reaction was, naturally, anger.

Horrified, I waited for him to continue, grappling with the deaths he shared so casually. Halston killed them? All the cats? And cats were not a huge effort! Halston was cruel, unforgiving of what he couldn't control. Glancing at my husband, I saw his hand check something behind his back.

“And Michael and this girl”—Halston gestured lazily toward me without so much as a glance—“being in charge of me? No. Absolutely not. I've been leading longer than Michael, so if we join you, I will need to take his place on this 'task force' you speak of. No girl needed.”

“ Princess Delphine ,” Haven said, his voice low and taut with menace.

“Pardon?” Halston turned his gaze toward Haven, a pretend confusion that didn’t mask the mockery.

“This girl, as you called her, is my wife , your human princess , and the only reason I considered saving any of you at all. She is your savior,” Haven growled, leaning over the table. “Considering the crimes you've already confessed to, I suggest you hold your tongue before I take it from you.”

Halston’s smirk faltered, just slightly. “I think you all can leave now,” Halston said, waving a dismissive hand as though that was the end of it.

Wait, he would let everyone die because he was corrected?

“Let’s not be hasty,” King Candor said, rising slowly from his seat with open palms, ever the diplomat.

The tension in the room hit a breaking point as their debate erupted. My father-in-law, Michael, and Leader Halston converged at the head of the table. Their tone and the sheer volume of it was distracting. It was the only time I've ever seen King Candor heated.

While they were distracted, Haven stood up and took his scarred hand in mine. He led me around the table until we were beside the mystery woman. I glanced behind me, seeing Daryl follow.

“Who are you?” Haven asked, going straight to the point.

She turned in her seat to address us. “His daughter.” Her voice was low and unsteady.

My heart sank a little. If I had to guess, she didn't have a healthy relationship with him. He didn’t really seem capable.

“Do you want to come with us?” I whispered.

Her lips parted, but she hesitated, glancing nervously toward her father before nodding. “Yes.”

“Do your people listen to you?” Haven asked, equally as low.

She nodded. “I have reason to believe that most would.”

I glanced between them, and the meaning struck me.

“What are you doing?” I asked him, my voice hushed.

Halston's daughter stood, from her chair, coming closer to us.

“I’m ending this,” Haven said.

Plan B it was then.

Dread filled my chest. I know I agreed, especially knowing he murdered his entire cat population, but I was worried about not having some sort of plan to do it stealthily.

“Haven, don’t rush into this, shouldn't we talk to?—”

Haven interrupted, asking Halston's daughter for her name.

“Fate,” she answered.

“That's appropriate. Fate, do you understand what I'm about to do?”

“I do, and I approve,” Fate said. “He wasn't originally the leader here, he took that position—“ she hesitated, glancing back at her father to make sure he wasn't listening, “—by murdering my mother.” The heated debate raged on.

I gasped, covering my mouth, while Haven's head turned to stare at Halston arguing with his father.

“You are in charge now, Fate,” he said when he turned back. “Leave this room so you don't have to watch. Tell the men outside to share an announcement that every citizen has to pack. One backpack each. We leave in three hours. Try to minimize the fallout and we'll be there to help soon. Got it?”

“Thank you,” she said, squeezing his arm.

My parents stood up, having silently listened to the conversation. “We'll go and help her.”

Before Daryl pulled me behind him, I nodded to them, and we joined Mavel and Alexandra in the corner. Insulated on all sides, I peeked over their shoulders. Jalen followed behind my husband, ready if needed.

“Close your eyes,” Daryl said, blocking my view.

Glaring at him, I kept them open. He sighed but nodded. positioning so I could still look.

“Where are you going?” Leader Halston asked, noting his daughter at the door, my father holding it open for her.

“Bathroom,” she said weakly back to him.

“Wait until we are done here,” he told her, voice firm.

Striding forward, Haven said, “We're done here, don't worry.”

The door clicked shut and I knew Fate must have left, but my eyes couldn't look away from my husband taking matters into his own hands.

Michael knew what to do and grabbed Halston, taking his arms behind his back to hold him in place.

Halston struggled, kicking out to try and escape Michael. “What are you doing?” he screeched. “Unhand me. Protectors!”

No one came to help him.

“This is not how we do things,” my father said, attempting to intervene.

“Sorry King Candor, siding with your son here,” Michael said. “You know this wasn't going anywhere.”

Haven reached behind his back and pulled a concealed knife from a pocket in his protective vest while Halston continued to struggle and scream.

I held my breath, terrified, as the glinting blade drove under Leader Halston's rib cage and into his heart. He slumped down, falling onto Haven. He stepped back, retracting the blade, the silence of Halston's halted screams broken only by the wet sound of his body hitting the floor.

As quickly as it started, it was over, the room spinning around me. The guilt was momentary, then I was flooded with relief.

“This isn't how we do things, Haven,” King Candor yelled, bending to check Halston's non-existent pulse.

“You are counting the wrong numbers father,” Haven said calmly, wiping the blade on his pants.

“What are you talking about,” he asked in exasperation as he stood and walked away from the body. He rubbed his forehead as if this were an inconvenience rather than murder.

He spoke quickly, switching to their home language, my knowledge from the psychic transfer translating with ease. “If we bring a dangerous man to our ship, bending to his will to bring his people and him, we jeopardize everyone, Eldrin, human, and feline. If we get rid of him now, have his daughter take over, then we can help them without resistance, and keep our people safe.”

The king's jaw clenched. “You did this because he insulted Delphine, not because of our people. Don't lie to me, son.”

“Both things can be true at once, but there is something else to it,” Haven said patiently. “Michael, is it true that Halston's wife was the original leader here?”

Michael nodded. “Yes, up until about fifteen years ago. She died.”

“Did he say how?” Haven asked, putting his knife back in his vest.

“An accident, but he didn't give details,” Michael replied.

I walked out from behind Daryl, he let me by without struggle now that the threat was gone. “His daughter said it was murder.” With a deep inhale, I added, “He killed innocent creatures, and his wife; he couldn’t be trusted.”

The king loosed a breath. I knew he came to accept it then. A tyrant was one thing, but a tyrant and a murderer was even worse.

Time was running out. Whether we felt good or bad about our decisions didn't matter, we had to keep moving.