by Sadie Carter
Could there be something else? He glanced down at the bed in thought. Alarm filled him.
“Mila! Mila!” He raced into the bathroom. “You are bleeding!”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. She was sitting on the edge of the bath, running the water.
“I know.”
“You know? We must take you to the healer immediately!” What had he done? Had he harmed her? Why had he not taken things slower? “This is all my fault.”
“It’s not your fault. Koran—”
He lifted her into his arms and turned. “It will be all right. I will take care of you.” He moved through the bedroom to the living area.
“Koran, wait! You—”
“I promise I will never join with you again. We can do other things to pleasure each other. But I will not—”
“Koran! Koran, listen to me!” She grabbed his ear, twisting it.
“Ouch! You hurt me.”
“Yes, because you would not listen.” She gave him an exasperated look. “Take a look at me. What do you see?”
He glanced down at her. “Your skin is a white-gray color. You are too thin. There are bags under your eyes. And—”
“All right, all right, I can only take so much flattery. Soon my head won’t fit through the door.”
He frowned in confusion. Why would her head grow? It sounded rather alarming. Was it a human affliction?
She held up her hand. “Never mind. Take another look at me, Koran. What do you see?”
Koran glanced over her. “You are naked.”
“Yes, I am. Were you planning on racing around the compound with me naked in your arms?”
What had he been thinking?
“I will find you some clothes.”
“Before you do that. Listen to me. I was meant to bleed. If you take me to that quack, we will become the laughing stocks of the compound.”
“I do not understand.”
“Just take me back into the bathroom before it floods and I will explain.”
Koran carried her into the bathroom and set her gently on her feet. He held onto her until he was certain she was steady. Reaching down, she turned off the water then held up her hand. “Help me in.”
He took it as the peace offering he thought it was and held out his hand as she slipped into the bath with a sigh.
“Sometimes when a woman loses her virginity, she bleeds due to the tissue tearing.”
“It only happens the once?” he asked. How did he not know this?
“Yes. Only the once. Thank God.” She winced as she moved around.
“You are in pain. I will find a pain inhibitor.”
She nodded. “There is one in the bedroom drawer next to the bed.”
Mila took the inhibitor gladly then rested her head back against the bath. Koran brushed his hand over her head. “I was worried when I saw the blood.”
She opened her eyes to stare up at him. “Sorry, I should have explained.”
“It appears we both forgot some important things.”
She grinned. “Yep, guess we had other things on our mind.”
“I will go to your sister with the name of the person who transmitted that vid. You should rest.”
Mila sighed. “No, she won’t believe you. Besides, she is going to be furious. Best I’m there to stop her from doing anything rash.”
“Rash?”
She stared up at him pensively.
“You have not told me the name of the person? Who is it?”
“Zac.”
“The investigator?”
“Yes.” She bit her lip worriedly. “And I can’t help but wonder if Aline knew.”
“Why would you think that?” Koran asked.
“Because she was sleeping with him.”
Chapter Twelve
Mila took a deep breath.
“Are you certain you do not want me to take care of this?” Koran touched her arm and she glanced up at him. She could tell he was dying to take over. She appreciated that it was hard for him to step back and let her take the lead.
“No, it has to be me.”
She knocked on the door to Aline’s office. “Aline?”
“It’s about time,” Aline called back. “You’re late.”
Alone, Mila walked inside. Koran had agreed, after much arguing, to wait outside until she called for him.
She figured she had five, maybe ten minutes before he stormed inside. She would take what time she could get.
“Aline, we need to talk.” She cleared her throat. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Aline had been trying to protect her and hadn’t known what Zac was up to.
Maybe.
“I know you’ve been busy playing detective, but it’s a waste of time. We have our murderer.”
Mila clenched her teeth together. She couldn’t believe how quick everyoe was to condemn Darac.
“I suppose there is a funeral?” Aline asked, not looking up from where she was working on her tablet.
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
“Have you put it in my diary?”
“Yes, I know I have been busy with Koran, but I’ve still been doing my job.”
“But you haven’t been here and I need you. I think it is time you stopped this nonsense, Mila. I know you like to see the best in people, but this is becoming ridiculous.”
“Just like you believed the best in Zac?” Mila asked.
Aline slowly glanced up at her. “What are you talking about?”
“I traced the source of that vid transmission, Aline. I know it was Zac.”
Aline sat back, staring up at her. “How did you trace the transmission?”
“Through the mainframe.”
“I didn’t give you permission. I thought we had decided you wouldn’t hack into the mainframe. If the council finds out—”
“That’s just the risk I have to take. There is no reason for them to find out. Unless I have to testify at Zac’s trial.”
That might be a bit difficult to explain. But she would just have to deal with any consequences.
“There won’t be a trial.”
“Why not?” Mila asked.
“Because I am not going to alert the authorities and you are going to keep quiet,” Aline commanded.
“I am? Why?” What the hell was going on?
“Because I am the one who arranged for Zac to transmit that vid.”
“You?” Mila sat, her legs no longer able to hold her up as she stared at her sister in shock. “Aline, why?”
“Simple really. Since I never get off this hellhole, I needed a way to bring the Zerconians to me. Zac said he would help me if I took him with me. He has a brother on Earth who is talented at making vids. He put together clips from other vids and made it into one.”
“So those women didn’t know they were in the vid?”
“No, it was older footage from a few years back,” Aline said. “I figured that the Zerconians would want to know who transmitted that vid and they would send an investigator. I would get close to them, prove my value and get moved to a post on Zerconia.”
“That’s an awfully elaborate ploy just to change jobs, Aline.”
Aline thumped her fist down on her desk. “I received a missive from the Earth Council two months ago. In another month’s time, I am being reassigned to Adroit.”
“Adroit?” Mila blanched. That was a step down for someone with Aline’s experience. A huge step down. Normally, the Adroit post was assigned to the least experienced ambassador.
“Why?”
Aline shrugged. “I may have annoyed a couple of the council members. I was only speaking the truth.”
“What did you do?” Mila rubbed her head, feeling a headache forming.
“I may have told them a few truths about their wives that they didn’t wish to hear.”
“Oh, Aline.” Mila barely stopped herself from banging her head on the desk.
“Now, you see why I got Zac to make that vid. You cannot tell anyone, Mila. N
ot if you care about me.”
“Aline—”
“If you love me, you will keep quiet.”
“Mila might. But how do you intend to silence me?”
Mila felt Koran step up behind her. “You held back longer than I thought you would.”
He squeezed her shoulders.
“You told him,” Aline accused her.
“He is my mate, Aline.”
Aline stared at her in surprise. “You really mated him?”
“Yes.”
That still amazed her when she thought about it. Koran was hers forever. No one had ever stuck around in her life except Aline.
How could she turn her own sister in?
And there was still one major question to address. Something she would never be able to forgive if Aline had played a part.
Aline stared at Koran calculatingly. “You could put in a good word for me. Tell the Crown Prince what a wonderful ambassador I would make. Ensure that I got the job.”
Mila rubbed her head.
“You transmitted a vid that showed a Zerconian male keeping human females like animals to breed them. Why would we want you as our ambassador?” Koran asked, incredulous.
“Aline, it wouldn’t work. Koran has to tell his people about the vid.” It wasn’t fair to ask Koran to keep this quiet.
“You could. If you wanted to.” Aline’s face was cold.
“We need to talk to Zac,” Mila told her.
“Zac only did what I told him to. He couldn’t think this up if he tried. He’s infatuated with me and I promised to take him with me to Zerconia.”
“Aline, please tell me you had nothing to do with Sally’s death.”
“What?” Aline appeared genuinely shocked. “Of course, I didn’t. Why would you ask that?”
Mila looked back up at Koran, who nodded.
“Because it occurred to us that Sally’s murder and Darac’s incarceration was a good way of distracting Koran from his original investigation.”
“But it didn’t work, did it? You figured it out. The vid was harmless. No one was hurt. You’re talking about murder, Mila. I would never have someone murdered.” Aline gave her a hurt look that immediately made Mila feel guilty.
Koran snarled. “Many of my people may die because they did not find their mate. Due to your vid.”
“I am certain you are being overly dramatic.” Aline waved her hand in the air dismissively.
Mila rubbed her head. Aline’s selfishness could have ruined so many lives.
“What now?” Mila asked, looking back at Koran.
“We talk to Zac. Aline will come with us.”
***
Koran could feel Mila’s pain and confusion through their bond and it was tearing at him. He wished he could do something to help her, to make what her sister did less painful.
But there was nothing he could do to make her sister a better person. The worst of it was that Aline truly didn’t see that what she had done was wrong.
If she believed she would take one step onto Zerconian soil now, then she had to be truly deluded.
Yet how could he tell Dex what she had done when it would hurt his mate? His mind warred. Do his duty and report Aline?
Or save his mate pain and keep quiet?
A few weeks ago there would have been no issue for him, but now, well, he found he would do quite a lot to spare his mate pain.
Mila stopped outside a door and glanced back at Koran and Aline. “Here goes nothing,” she muttered.
They stepped into a small space. It was dark, the blinds were down, and the lights were off.
“Zac? You here?” Mila called out.
“Lights on,” Aline snapped out the command and the lights flickered on. She glanced around in disgust. “I have never been in his office. It is filthy.”
There was a thick film of dust on every surface except for the small desk and chair in the middle of the room.
“Not sure how much work he’s actually been doing in here,” Mila commented, walking over to the desk. She picked up a tablet. “So then why is this here?”
“Is it his?”
“I don’t think so,” she said slowly, turning it over to show him the name stuck to the back of the tablet, in pink letters.
Sally.
Koran’s gaze sharpened as he moved closer. “The one Zac said was missing?”
“Why would he tell you it was missing?” Aline asked.
“I don’t know.” Mila stared down at the tablet pensively. “Unless there is something on here he didn’t want us to see. Aline, I think you should put out an alert. Track Zac down.”
“You cannot seriously think that he had something to do with Sally’s death,” Aline stated, even as she reached for her communicator.
“I don’t know. But I don’t like that he lied to us.” Mila sat in the chair and started tapping on the tablet. “It’s password protected.”
“Can you get in?” Koran asked.
“Yes, but it’s probably easier to guess her password. What would she have used?” Adorably, she bit her lip as she thought. She tried a few things. “Wait, I know. She mentioned a dog from her childhood. What was its name? Scamp, that’s it!”
She nearly bounced in joy. “I’m in.”
“I have security searching for Zac. They will let me know when they find him. Do you really think Zac could have killed her? I was sleeping with the man.” Aline shuddered.
“Were you sleeping with him the night of Sally’s murder?” Mila asked suddenly.
Aline frowned. “What night was that again?”
“Three nights ago, Aline. Think.”
Koran knew Mila was frustrated with her sister, but she remained patient. She would make an excellent investigator.
Or ambassador.
Zerconia did need an Earth ambassador. But not Aline. She would not suit. Mila would. A female ambassador would help convince other earth women that they were safe on Zerconia.
He had never imagined his mate might work. He thought she would keep his house and look after him. But he could tell that would not be enough for his mate. She was born to help others.
More importantly, she was good at it.
“Actually, I believe I was. I would have to check my diary to be sure.”
“Your diary?” he asked.
Aline nodded. “My personal one. I note it down so I do not double book myself.” She didn’t even look embarrassed as she said that. “I will go to my room and check.”
Her communicator beeped and she glanced at it. “They have Zac. I’ll get them to take him to my office. Meet me there in ten.”
Mila looked up from the tablet. “She’s really not a bad person.”
Perhaps she was blind to Aline’s faults due to their relationship. But the other woman was not a good person.
“I know she does some crazy things and she doesn’t seem to care about anyone but herself, but she is the only person who has ever stuck around in my life. The only one to stick by me. She’s my sister.”
“I cannot lie about what she has done, Mila.”
“I know.” Mila gave him a sad look. “I just hope that she’s not given any jail time. I’m not certain she could handle that. Aline is used to being in control, I’m sure you can relate. If she doesn’t feel in control, then I’m scared what will happen to her.”
Koran pulled her up from the chair and hugged her close. “These past few days have been very stressful for you.”
Mila stepped back and wiped at her eyes. She was strong, his mate. “Anyway, it seems unlikely that Zac was our murderer. On Sally’s tablet, she had a meeting with someone with the initials GM the night of her murder.”
“This GM is probably her mystery boyfriend,” Koran stated.
“And maybe our murderer,” Mila added.
“So why did Zac tell us that he could not locate Sally’s tablet?” Koran asked.
“I guess we’ll have to ask him that. Meanwhile, I’ll run a check on everyone living in
this compound with those initials. It shouldn’t take long.”
“Then we may have our killer.”
Darac would be free.
And Koran could take Mila home.
Chapter Fourteen
“So if you were with Aline the night Sally was murdered,” Mila stated as she paced back and forth in front of a clearly nervous Zac, “then why did you tell us that Sally’s tablet was missing? Who are you covering for?”
“Nobody,” Zac spat out. His face was pale and sweat glistened on his forehead.
Koran watched on in amazement as his mate interrogated the male. His natural inclination had been to take over. He would never have thought his sweet, gentle mate capable of this. Oh, she never raised her voice, never grew angry or violent.
But the relentlessness with which she questioned Zac filled Koran with surprise.
And pride.
So he sat back and watched. If she needed him he would step in, he would happily do any dirty work.
Her body might be fragile and delicate, too easily breakable. But she had a strength inside her worthy of a warrior.
“Then you were hiding what you did. You killed Sally, didn’t you, Zac?”
“I told you, I was with Aline.”
“But you forget I know how deeply Aline sleeps. You could have snuck out without her knowledge.” Mila leaned over him, hands resting on the chairs arms.
Koran let out a low growl and Mila rose, giving him a brief glance. He had let her take control, but he didn’t like her getting close to the other male. Not because he was jealous. She would never want this puny, sniveling male. But she was smaller than the male and he could hurt her.
Not that Koran would allow that to happen.
But still, it was best she keep her distance.
Mila nodded and he knew she had sensed his feelings through their bond. She winked at him and his cock filled.
She was so beautiful. He knew she was still sore from their joining. But he hoped what he had in mind would ease her instead of add to her pain. He imagined her tied to the bed, legs spread, his tongue working its way over her clit, teasing it before slowly entering her pussy.
Mila strode past him. “Stop it,” she hissed.
He raised his eyebrows.
“Stop imagining that. I’m trying to remain focused.”
