Page 31 of The Bride Contract (Princes of Xaavia #1)

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Chapter 31 - Kiahn

I am grinning like a male who has lost all his faculties - an utter fool whose mind is clouded by stars and rainbows… and his female’s delicious cunt.

Although I’d pointed out to Niska that her fertility pills aren’t mandatory, and that I’m more than happy to continue our relations tonight for pleasure purposes only, she had insisted.

So here I am, wandering around the palace halls with an armful of my Niska’s things that I’d retrieved from her personal chambers - including her human fertility medication. It is my intention that we will eventually move all her belongings to my rooms anyway. I have become very fond of the human tradition of ‘cuddles’, and intend for us to do this each night.

“K-”

I halt my steps and lift my face up to the hall ceiling and groan. Only my brothers call me this, and that was the voice of Zann behind me. I don’t bother to turn to see him, he is soon caught up with me. “What do you want, Zannador?” I ask gruffly, wishing to get back to my Niska quickly.

Zann matches my pace. “You need to speak to father for me.”

“No, I need to get back to my female.”

“K, he wants to send me to some remote conservation planet with jungles and bugs and stuff!”

“Sounds pleasant, be sure to pick up a souvenir for our human guests while you’re gone.”

“ K! ” He actually does stop me, then, his hand on my arm. When I turn to him, his eyes are full of pleading, and suddenly he is that same young brother who would ask for me to help him with his studies so that he could impress Aunt Zalora. He had always been so eager to please when he was young, like he was trying to fill the void our mother left after his birth. The male he is now is a little different. It was after one of my father’s rare visits while Zann was still a growing adolescent that he stopped trying to please everyone, and only thought of himself. I still wonder what my idiot father had said to him during that visit.

Nonetheless, he can’t live life without consequences any longer. He is a prince, for fuck’s sake. “Be glad he is not forcing you into an ongoing contract with Xoe.”

He shakes his head. “I know, it’s so strange. I felt for sure he would go that route. But instead, he means for me to make amends with her family by working on one of the planets they own. He wants to make an example of me.”

“What do you expect, Zann?!” I ask, exasperated and desperate to get back to cuddle my Niska.

I start walking again, framed paintings of princes before me lining the walls, all watching me as I try to flee this conversation. Unfortunately, they also witness Zann keeping up with my pace. “There is nothing there, K. I’ve looked at the type of conservation they do on that planet, it’s all about monitoring population numbers of the native species. I will be bored out of my damn mind doing that kind of work. Can’t you talk to him? Persuade him to let me make amends somewhere else? Anywhere else. Somewhere where there are hotels, and spas, some kind of nightlife at least? I’ll work hard during the day, I swear, but what am I expected to do on a planet where there is nothing for me? What, in the name of the Goddess of Wisdom am I meant to learn at a place like that?”

I stop again and turn toward him. “I don’t know, Zann. But it sounds like you’ll be doing something good instead of always chasing the next pleasure.”

My brother grits his teeth and growls at me. My brow lifts because that was a challenge I did not expect from my own flesh and blood. His gaze sweeps down to where my arms are laden with my Niska’s belongings. “Looks like you’re not chasing pleasures at all, brother. Tell me, do you have your little bride tucked up in your-” his words halt on his tongue and his eyes narrow on one item in my arms. “Why do you have those ?”