Page 18 of Taming the Alien Outlaw (Brides of the Bohnari #2)

Janik

Mak leaps forward and nearly topples me over with the force of the collision.

She whines and head butts my stomach, rubbing her face all over me in her excitement.

I stroke her ears and the back of her neck, but I don’t take my gaze off Olivia.

I can’t. I don’t want to. She’s even more beautiful than I remember, which I didn’t believe to be possible.

Vaguely I’m aware there are others in the room with us, but none of them matter.

The heat of the mating fever rises and for a moment I worry this visit will land me in the pit for attempted murder, but the rage that has always accompanied the fever is absent.

Somehow, it’s because of the female on the other side of the room.

“Well, shit.”

The curse breaks whatever hold Olivia has on me and I shift my gaze to the other female who uttered it.

She isn’t the Quinn that Olivia has spoken of with great fondness.

I may not have an exact memory of her, but whereas she’d been fair-skinned, this female is a deep, creamy copper that rivals a Bohnari.

Her dark hair is a cloud of tightly curled ringlets around her face.

While striking, she’s no match for Olivia.

Fingers snap in front of my face and I blink my gaze into focus. Olivia stands within arm’s length of me and her expression is storm-filled.

“She’s not available.”

Her statement confuses me. “She’s not available for what?”

Olivia’s cheeks darken and understanding hits. A grin tugs at my lips. “Are you jealous?”

She scoffs, but glances away. “Hardly.”

“You are.”

“You’re such an asshole.”

My grin turns into a full-blown smile.

“If the two of you are done?” Alik says drily.

I don’t turn away from her. “Olivia and I aren’t nearly done.”

She groans and whirls away to stand next to her friend again.

“Now that the reunion is over, perhaps you can tell us why you’re here, Olivia.” While Alik’s tone is pleasant, there’s an underlying note of steel that makes it more a command than request.

“I’m here because he is and as much as I love having Mak with me, she needs to be with her…companion. The city isn’t a good place for her. She needs to be able to roam freely so she can hunt and exercise.” Olivia pauses. “Plus, she misses him.”

“I don’t think she’s the only one who misses me.” I smirk.

“You’re infuriating,” Olivia grinds out between clenched teeth.

“You adore me.”

She sputters.

“Enough,” Alik commands. “You have returned the rebel’s companion so your task is complete, which means you’re free to go.”

Olivia hesitates. It’s that hesitation that gives me hope.

“I wish for her to stay.”

Alik and Horek both glare at me. It’s the prince that replies. “I don’t particularly care for what you wish.”

The anger builds that he dares try to keep the female from me.

My fangs and claws extrude and a growl rumbles up from deep inside my chest. I take a step forward, but a soft hand lands directly over my heart and the rage disappears like a wisp of smoke.

Olivia stares up at me with concern etched on her face.

“No one is going to make me leave.” She darts a swift glance over at Alik. “Not even the prince.”

“I agree.”

We all turn at the new voice and an older female sweeps into the room. The small crown upon her head sparkles in the sunlight streaming through the windows. If that didn’t give me a clue as to her identity, her entire regal bearing would. She moves like a queen as she glides toward us.

“Good day, Olivia. Devon. It’s always such a pleasure to see you both.” The queen inclines her head at the two females before turning my way, her gaze snagging momentarily on Olivia’s hand on my chest.

“So you’re the infamous rebel Janik I have heard so much about.” She studies me with an intensity bordering on calculating.

“At your service, Your Highness.” I’d bow, but that would mean loosening my hold on Olivia, and so long as she doesn’t attempt to pull away, I will continue touching her.

“Mother,” Alik grinds out.

“Yes?” She blinks innocently.

“Did you need something?”

“I heard we had guests and I thought it only polite that I greet them properly.”

“Yes, Alik, we’re guests.” I grin widely.

He makes a move toward me, but Queen Veroneek holds up her hand and he freezes. She narrows her gaze on me.

“Don’t antagonize him,” she scolds.

I duck my head. Olivia snorts, but tries to disguise it with a cough. To my surprise, the queen grins at her.

“Now then, what have I missed?”

Alik turns a heated stare my way. “Janik here came to notify me that he plans on launching attacks on several trade lines tomorrow, but he hasn’t shared which ones. The only way to put a stop to them is to answer his demands, which include abdicating my place on the throne and crowning him Prince.”

Olivia, who had been focused on Alik while he spoke, whips her head in my direction. “Janik?”

She tugs her hand away and looks at me as if I’ve caused her great harm, although I’m not sure why. My goal has never changed or strayed. It has always been the throne. Yet the disappointment in her gaze threatens to undo me.

“What’s stopping us from having Horek throw you in the pit?” Queen Veroneek asks.

“Nothing I suppose. Except, if I don’t return by night fall, my associates will launch the attacks early.”

“I see. Does that mean you plan on killing me?”

I draw back in horror. “Of course not.”

“Someone has been remiss in your education then.”

“How so?” I cant my head.

“Because if you had been taught properly, you would know that while Alik might be the assumed ruler of Bohna, it is only because I let him. Royal law decrees that if the king dies before the queen, she becomes the reigning monarchy. Only once I’m deceased do any of my descendants take over the role.

Sadly, that means Alik does not have a throne to give you. ”

I nearly stumble back. My mother never once told me of this. “Does everyone know this?”

“It’s not a secret, if that’s what you’re asking. But I’m sure some of the younger generation might be unaware of the fact.”

How is this possible? Everything I have worked toward for nearly my entire life has been ripped away in a single tick.

Raised voices from outside the door grow louder just as Horek’s comm sounds a blaring alarm.

Guards pour into the room. Mak places herself in front of me and the hackles on her neck rise as she crouches into an attack position.

“What’s happening?” Olivia cries out.

The commander turns hate-filled eyes to me. “Three of our busiest trade lines were just attacked. Multiple deaths have occurred and even more people are injured.”

“What? No, it’s too early and no one was supposed to be hurt.” Panic rears. What is going on?

“Seize him,” Alik yells out and the guards converge.

“Mak, no.” Olivia and I yell in unison, although mine is more commanding.

She rushes forward to try and stop the phinnek.

“Olivia!”

The stubborn female doesn’t listen, of course. Instead, she wraps her arms around Mak’s neck to hold her back as the guards latch onto me.

“Take the rebel to the pit,” Horek demands.

I stop fighting, because I don’t want any of the females to be hurt. The guards drag me away and I call over my shoulder. “Take care of Mak for me, please, Olivia.”

I’m pulled through the palace with my thoughts racing. What in the name of the gods happened? The attacks never should have occurred. At least not until tomorrow. Who gave the order?

We descend multiple staircases and the air grows colder the deeper into the ground we go. Rumors have abound at the bleak darkness that is the pit. Not a single drop of sunlight makes it way into the bowels of the mountain. It’s not the cell that causes madness, it’s the dark. The silence.

To center myself, I picture Olivia. Not the one upstairs who looked at me as though I truly am a monster, but on the Olivia who comforted me during the worst of my mating fever.

The one who acted as if she cared despite the fact she saw herself as my prisoner instead of the honored guest I thought of her as.

The female who does something to my heart. I don’t fear for me, but for her.

The darkness grows and is only broken by the faint light emitting from sconces on the walls. We arrive at a cell door. One of the guards without a death grip on me opens it and I’m shoved inside.

“Traitor.” The guard spits and slams the solid steel door closed enveloping me in complete and utter darkness.

Carefully, with my hands outstretched, I locate the wall and attempt to feel my way around the space.

By the time I’ve finished making a circuit around the space I discover the cell is small and there’s a single bed.

There are no cracks or crevices to scrape out even if I had more than just my claws.

Each wall is utterly smooth. I couldn’t even feel a keyhole.

Time passes, but it’s impossible to measure its length. It could be only a few ticks or it could be an entire sun. My only wish is to know Olivia is safe. I can rest easy knowing that.

More time passes and I remain alone—in the dark—with nothing more than my thoughts.

None of them are pleasant. Why did my mother let me believe taking the throne was nothing more than Alik abdicating?

Does she not know that Queen Veroneek is the rightful ruler of Bohna until her death?

Surely she did not expect me to murder the queen?

Or did she plan on sending an assassin to do the job?

No answers come to me. All I can do is wait for someone to return. If they ever do. Perhaps I’ll be left in here to rot, forgotten and discarded like rubbish.