Verakko made his move, and Lily noticed the piece he was floating across the board was colored a different shade of gold than the rest. It looked older, more rudimentary, if it was possible to say such a thing about a flying object that had seemingly no wings or propellers.
She spotted an opening and jumped one of his pieces, then clapped her hands together.
Verakko grimaced, eyes roving over the board in frustration. “You enjoyed the spa?”
“Very much. Thank you again for setting it up.” She chuckled. “No massages for me, though. I was too nervous about it.”
A flash of fang accompanied his grin. “I can’t say I’m upset. If you need to be massaged anywhere, I’d be happy to oblige.”
Lily shivered, feeling her nipples harden under the silky material of her dress. Before she could stop herself, throaty words were spilling out of her. “I suppose I do have a few kinks you could work out.”
Verakko’s gaze darkened, and he licked a fang.
His lost piece that she’d just jumped drifted toward her, and she stepped away, thinking it was heading behind her to land somewhere. Instead, it hovered in front of her hands as though expecting something.
“I forgot to mention. These pieces are special. For each one you win—” Verakko grinned and tapped a finger against his controller, “—you get a prize.”
Lily squealed in delight as a compartment on the top of the round object emerged, revealing what was unmistakably a piece of candy. “Candy?” she asked, wanting to make sure, even though it was already halfway to her lips.
Verakko’s shoulders shot back triumphantly, and he nodded.
Over the next few minutes, they joked and flirted and played checkers, each earning themselves delicious sweets. Lily made her final move with an exaggerated frown directed toward a joyous-looking Verakko.
He jumped her remaining pieces, then punched the air, reveling in his victory.
Lily giggled and chewed on the last of the unfamiliar fruit-flavored candy that was somehow both chewy and juicy. While Verakko did the same, she peered down at the pile of checkers and studied the odd-looking one.
Along the top of the round object were sloppy vertical symbols.
“The Super Bandit version two,” Verakko intoned from the other side of the room. “I found it in the storage cube my father had packed my things into.”
Her chest grew tight.
He pocketed his controller and crossed to her. Smile fading, eyes growing serious. Looking at her with drawn brows that urged her to believe him, he said, “I wanted to show you that the things we shared…what I shared with you…they were real.”
Lily swallowed and gazed up at him, knowing in her heart what he said was true.
A half laugh, half sob escaped her, and she nodded, throat too tight for words. She twined her arms around his neck and kissed him. Strong arms wrapped around her waist. He lifted her, drawing her chest flush with his, and slanted his mouth against hers to deepen the kiss. The sudden purr that erupted from his chest vibrated through him, tickling her tongue and lips as she clung to him.
One week, her mind hissed in the background. Do I know what side of the bed he sleeps on? No. Do I know the name of his first pet? No.
Her grip around his neck tightened. With an answering groan, his hand rose to fist her hair.
I know what he’s like in a bad mood. I know he’ll sacrifice himself to protect me. I know he loves tinkering and hates heights. I know he can be shortsighted and pompous and rude.
Do I know he’s mine? Yes. Lily sighed, melting against his warm, rumbling chest.
Do I know that I love him? Yes. Deep down, she felt it. Somehow, someway, the bond was real, and despite everything she’d been through, she could feel it pulling them together inextricably.
This man was hers. It’d come as a shock earlier to have someone else point out the feelings she’d so viciously denied, but there was no doubt left. She’d been falling in love with his infuriating personality and hidden gooey center since they’d first met.
“Let’s go back to the house,” she panted after breaking off the kiss.
He gifted her a glorious, fanged smile and made a deep groan of approval. Dropping her to her feet, he programmed his floating checkerboard to clean itself up and led her to the door.
She needed to figure out a good way to tell him. He’d done so many romantic things for her, and now it was her turn to do the same. She’d plan something for tomorrow. She inwardly grinned, thinking of a few things she’d like to do with him in bed, but decided that telling him she loved him and agreeing to be his mate in full required a little more romance and a little less lust.
They climbed into the lift, and she continued to brainstorm. Maybe she could build him a fire in the apartment? No, stupid. Get a private natural pool at the spa like they had in the tunnel? Maybe.
Her thoughts were interrupted when he pushed her into the wall of the lift. His mouth descended onto hers, his tongue gliding against hers in slow, languid strokes. Lily whimpered into his mouth, and her sex clenched.
Verakko ran his hands down to grip her ass and let out an approving hiss. They stayed locked together, breathing hard for long moments after the lift stopped moving.
When he finally tore away, he gazed down at her, his eyes a beautiful glowing emerald in the dim space.
“How about you take me to that bed now?”
The most gorgeous, heat-inducing, wolfish grin spread over his face. In a voice gone deep with lust, he rasped, “Yes, mivassi.”
Chapter 25
They pulled away from each other and tried their best to smooth their rumpled clothes and calm their breathing before leaving the service lift, but Verakko couldn’t force the evidence of his arousal to abate.
This night had gone better than he could’ve ever hoped. Lily had kissed him. She’d gazed at him with tenderness in her eyes instead of the cold hurt she’d been sporting for the last few days.
All they had to do now was make it a few steps to his temporary home, which he’d be selling and exchanging for whatever Lily preferred as soon as she consented to be his. Checking to see that the hallway was clear, he tugged her out and down the hall.
The faint scent of her arousal through her underwear toyed with his senses, and he had to fight the urge to simply throw her over his shoulder and leap the remaining distance to his home.
A sharp trill sounded from his pocket, tugging at his thoughts, but he ignored it. Whoever it was could call back.
Pressing his palm to the scanner on his door, he waited for it to open, then whirled Lily through the doorway. As soon as the door closed, he advanced. She smiled deviously at him and backed away. Icy veins of antivenom traveled along the roof of his mouth and filled his fangs in preparation.
The trilling continued, and Lily frowned. “Shouldn’t you get that?”
“Fuck no.” He leapt toward her, landing inches away.
She laughed and rested her fists on his chest. “They keep calling. You should at least see who it is.” She bit her lip. “Once I get you up there,” she said, nodding toward the ceiling, “you won’t be leaving for a while. Better check it now.”
Lily slid her hand down his back, making him shiver, then reached into his pocket, producing his communicator.
His eyes flashed down to the screen, meaning only to assure her it was of no importance, but then he looked again. He grunted in frustration and took the device. “It’s a formal summons from my mother. She requests I go to her right now.”
“Why?” Her expression grew worried.
He shrugged, not wanting his own sudden anxiety to affect her mood. “This is usually how she summons me. Could be anything.” He pressed a soft kiss to her upturned mouth and gathered the strength to step away. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
There was still a note of concern in her eyes, but she smiled shyly and nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”
Verakko backed away from her, releasing a miserable groan at h
er seductive tone. Before he decided to ignore the Queen’s request altogether, he turned and stomped out the door.
The whole ride to the palace, Verakko tried to predict what his mother might need from him. The female from hours before kept popping into his mind. Had she reported him? He shook his head at the idea. If she had any evidence against him, guards would’ve escorted him to the palace. He wouldn’t have been summoned.
It was more likely that his mother wanted a report on his progress with Lily. Perhaps to properly plan her speech. The back of his neck prickled as he realized Lily hadn’t given him a definitive answer one way or another.
He reached the palace and jogged up the steps at lightning speed, coming to a halt in the entryway. As he waited to be announced and led in, dread settled like a weight in his stomach. One of the guards shot him a sour look, and he returned it tenfold.
“Follow me.”
Verakko followed one of the armed guards through the sprawling foyer and froze.
“I said follow me,” the guard demanded from near an archway.
That was the way to the trial room.
His legs tensed to run while his mind raced to find another escape. He’d never make it anywhere if he ran. Definitely wouldn’t make it back to Lily.
He forced his feet to move, following the guard, and heaved out a deep sigh of relief when the guard continued through the large trial room and into a private office situated near the rear. The office was large but devoid of windows, making the sparsely furnished room feel smaller than it was.
His mother stood on the far side of the room, hands clasped behind her back, staring at a large screen mounted to the wall. Laws and contracts and communications were all organized on the screen, ready to be reviewed.
“Verakko.” Ziritha walked into the room, closing the door behind her. Once they were alone, the look of pity on the female’s face had his insides turning to liquid. Something was wrong.
“What’s happened?” he barked a little more harshly than he should’ve, fear and anxiety getting the better of him.
“Baeo and her son have reported you,” his mother intoned, facing him with a tight expression.
All of the air seemed to leave his body. Blood rushing in his ears, he thought about Lily, in his home and waiting.
“Her son apparently met Lily at the spa today and was interested enough in her to ask his mother to inquire about negotiating a contract, but when she came to speak with Lily, she saw you touching inappropriately in the hallway of your building and she scented you on the female as she passed by.”
Verakko threw his hands up, his shock morphing into fury. “That isn’t a breach of contract! How did she even know where Lily was staying?”
Ziri peered between them with drawn brows and sympathetic eyes. “He said he couldn’t find her registered guardian listed anywhere, so he looked up the name of the person paying for her services and figured you’d been assigned.”
“That’s not enough evidence,” he hissed, balling his fists so as not to punch anything.
“No, it’s not. But it’s enough for a trial, and you won’t be able to lie. Can you truthfully claim you haven’t breached your contract with that female?” His mother gave him a hard look, already knowing the answer to her question.
Think! How to get out of this? If he was brought to court and claimed innocence, he’d be subjected to an examiner’s sway, forced to allow it to permeate his mind and answer all questions honestly. He might reveal everything down to his marks. If he pled guilty and admitted to a breach in his contract, he’d be questioned and sentenced, but not swayed.
He shouldn’t have left Lily. He should’ve seen this coming. Why hadn’t he taken her and run? A thought occurred to him, and he narrowed his eyes at the females before him. “Why did you ask me to come here? It’s normally guards who retrieve citizens for questioning. Did you want to make me feel at ease so I wouldn’t fight back?” His words grew progressively louder and more hostile as the realization that he may not see Lily for years settled in.
“Control yourself!” his mother boomed over him, a brief flicker of anger flitting over her features before powerful control reigned once more. “I asked you here to give us the opportunity to speak before the council arrives.” Another flash of anger lit her eyes. “I told you to stay out of sight. To treat her like you would any other female who wasn’t your betrothed. You didn’t.” Her voice grew quiet. “And now there’s nothing I can do to help you.”
He needed to reveal his marks; it was the only way. Show them Lily was his mate, and this would all be over. The contract would be void. She would be his.
“I won’t be trapped.” Lily’s words played through his mind. The pain on her face and the tears in her eyes when she’d said it cut him like a knife even now. He couldn’t do that to her again. Not for this. It wasn’t as if it’d be forever. He’d serve his time and return to her. She was his mate, after all. He didn’t need to be eligible for a marriage to be with her. When he did finally reveal his marks, whenever that day came, it would be because she was ready and because she knew without a shadow of a doubt that they belonged together.
A sharp buzz sounded at the door.
“I’ll have my guards retrieve Lily while you plead your case. She’ll be given the opportunity to speak on your behalf.”
“No!” he blurted. “She’ll be frightened. They don’t even speak her language. And…” He needed to find a way to warn her not to make a claim of innocence. Warn her she’d be swayed to tell the truth and she wouldn’t legally be allowed to brush off the sway.
“I’ll get her,” Ziri said, stepping forward and finally speaking. Her voice was croaky, almost as if tight with restrained emotion. She gazed at the Queen. “She knows me.”
The Queen studied Ziri for a moment before nodding.
When Ziri had fled from the room, Verakko and his mother stood staring at each other. She opened her mouth to speak, but shut it again.
Another knock echoed around the room.
She took a step toward him, her brows creasing in something that resembled concern. “Can you give me any reason…” She swallowed and let out a long exhale. “Any at all, that would keep me from sending you away?”
Verakko studied his mother. Her features were tight, her mouth thinned. But her eyes glimmered with sadness. Was he finally seeing what his father had always said was there under the surface? Was she allowing him to see vulnerability? His chest constricted.
“I appreciate what you’ve done for me already, Mother. I won’t reveal that you gave me time with her. But there’s nothing I can say.” Verakko saw a muscles tick in her jaw at his words, and he couldn’t help but smile. “It’s alright. I’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
She stared at him for a moment longer before straightening and donning a mask of indifference. Head held high, she crossed to the door and stepped into the trial room, where her council was already waiting.
In an ornamental chair placed along the side of the long room sat the smug female from the hall, along with an uncomfortable-looking male.
Chapter 26
Lily grinned and let out a deep sigh after the door closed behind Verakko. She spun in place, then scanned the room. “Hopefully he’ll be back soon,” she said to no one in particular.
Running her hands over her hips, she luxuriated in the incredible softness of the odd fabric. She wandered to the kitchen and examined the tips of her hair. The glitter coat was so fine it almost looked like shine from a distance.
Once in the kitchen, she stood in the center and peered around, not sure what to do with herself until Verakko returned. Deciding she had an opportunity to examine an alien house that most scientists would kill for, she began looking in every nook and cranny of the two-story home.
The two bedrooms seemed typical enough. Lily frowned at the cream and silver bedroom on the first floor, obviously meant for Ziritha, then a grin tugged at her lips. That meant Verakko had wanted to squirrel her away in hi
s room.
A separate room with only a small pool of hot water made her stop. Did she have time for a quick dip before Verakko returned? With a last longing look at the steaming tub, she pulled herself away.
Lily searched every unlocked cabinet, squinted under every piece of furniture, and rifled through every drawer she could find. Most of the objects she came across were recognizable. Or at least she believed she could deduce what they were for. Some of the others items she found confounded her.
Currently she was standing in front of the gleaming control panel for the furniture, wondering if she felt brave enough to press a few alien symbols and see what would happen.
The front door whooshed open, and Lily whirled around, her heart ramping up to a frantic beat at Verakko’s return. How could she have ever doubted she loved him?
When she found Ziritha panting in the doorway, her smile faded. Her hair was no longer immaculate, frizz haloing her scalp, and she was winded. Quite unlike the graceful, poised pre-queen she’d been with all day.
“Are you alright?” she asked, wishing she knew how to get Ziri a glass of water.
Between pants, Ziri breathed, “He’s been reported…” Deep breath. “They’re at the palace now… The council will vote…”
Lily rushed forward, her heart thundering in her chest for an entirely different reason. “What? Who?”
Ziri shook her head and tugged on Lily’s arm. “They can’t make a decision about anything until all members of the council are there. They’ll wait for me. I wanted to get here as fast as I could to explain. Let’s go.”
“But—” Lily began, insides growing cold.
The woman pulled her roughly through the doorway and leveled a serious stare on her. “We need to go,” she swayed.
Lily grunted and brushed the sway away. “That doesn’t work on me.”
Ziri let out a huff of frustration and eyed her for a moment longer before heading down the hallway, Lily in tow. “He’s going to be sent away. You need to plead in favor of his character, and hopefully the sentence will be reduced. Tell them you initiated the pairing and make sure to play up the differences in your culture, and if you care for him at all, do not tell them he lied about being under contract.”
Saving Verakko: The Clecanian Series Book 3 Page 28
