Page 60 of Starborn Husbands

Dammit. I’ve checkmated myself. Everyone knows how much “vulgarity” I would usually respond with. I exchange a quick look with Zhang, hoping he’ll give me permission this once. He shakes his stupid head.

“Go fork yourself,” I say and excuse myself to grab a plate for Zhang.

“Whooooa. Is this him tamed? This’ll be fun. What can’t he say?” Antares asks Zhang, who is only too happy to list forbidden words.

My mood darkens. I may go on a swearing rampage. It’s hard to remember that I was going to show Zhang up with my royal protocol skills.

Balling my fists, I do an outstanding job plating his breakfast and then I present that with some coffee to his right side. Thank fuck, coffee grows throughout the Nebuli. “Your breakfast, Sir.”

“Thank you, Treyu. You may set it down and then get some for yourself.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“So, like, is it for all the time?” Joshie asks. At least his questions are innocent. He’s not purposefully trying to goad me like my other pain-in-the-ass brothers. If they’re not careful, I’m happy to remind them of my status in this house.

“He’s permitted to relax on etiquette when it’s just the two of us,” Zhang says. His dark eyes meet mine because he relaxed the rules for me.

Taking the seat across from him with my breakfast, he addresses me. A test. “I wouldn’t mind some cherry juice,” he says.

I’ll show him. I note his coffee is already half gone. “And more coffee, Sir?”

“Please.”

He smiles and he glows just a touch and I’m … no. I slide from the table again. This time, I set it down without the presentation as per protocol. Now, I’m meant to be as unobtrusive as possible while I refill his coffee and set his juice down.

“Anything else, Sir?”

“That will be all.” He tugs on my wrist until his lips are in my ear. “Eat, babe.”

I fucking smile and then frown just as quickly hoping no one saw that.

“Wow, he’s so different,” Jamie says. “I like it for you, big brother. You’re calm.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Jericho says. “It’s been a couple of days since he was publicly punished for his latest act of idiocy.”

Zhang’s eyes narrow. “That was uncalled for. Atlanta and I discovered a lead before I left Earth. Something wasn’t right about that night.”

“You did, Sir?” My tone is laced with “This is the first I’ve heard of it”.

“Yes. With everything else, there hasn’t been time to discuss it with you.”

That translates to,do you really want me to tell your family about you getting beat to hell and tossed in the palace dungeons?The answer is no, I don’t. I relax, grateful for his discretion. So far, he’s turning out to be a good partner, if really fucking strict … which only makes him all the more perfect for me.

“What’s going on?” Father pipes up, finally interested in what’s happening at the breakfast table. When we were younger, he was more rigid about rules, but when we all reached adulthood, he learned to block most of our nonsense out.

He snatches Dad’s slender wrist, and pulls him into his lap, kissing his knuckles, and melting the concern off his face.

“I think someone’s trying to kill Treyu. Atlanta and I have reason to believe either that the body was planted, or it’s entirely made up. An associate of mine is looking into it, while Treyu and I worry about nuptials.”

“If you’re found innocent then do you still have to marry the prince? Just asking, Zhang,” Joshie says, taking great pleasure in getting to call the prince by his common name. “I’m not saying I don’t want him to marry you. I like what I’ve seen so far.”

There’s a pang in my chest and it feels exactly like what it did when I began to fall. I wait, just as interested in the answer as my brother.

“As much as I wanted to clear his name before the marriage could happen, it’s not looking likely, and once we’re married, it’ll be a done deal no matter what happens afterward. If a miracle happens, and we can solve this mystery before we marry, then no, he won’t have to marry me.”

Why do I hate that? I hate that a lot.

My heart’s pounding in my ears. I mentally list all the tropes I love from my favorite novels. Only one bed, enemies to lovers, definitely alpha-hole—maybe my fave of all—plus there are all the tags I like such as spanking, spanking and double spanking, domestic discipline, danger kink … Point is, insta-love is not on there. I hate that fucking trope.