“Huh. That’s so interesting. I’m straight-up terrestrial because I didn’t even think about other races on different planets being an issue. It really is War of the Worlds.” She giggled and gave him and exaggerated wink, even knowing he didn’t understand the joke.
“It is,” he replied seriously. “My father was a soldier and my father’s mother was a soldier, so when I had to decide what my path would be during husbandry school, it made sense to me.”
His jaw tightened, and he stared at her as though deciding whether or not to say something. She attempted her best impression of a sloth, not moving or breathing in the hope he wouldn’t get scared away from speaking. Don’t move! He can’t see us if we don’t move, Sam Neill’s voice echoed through her mind.
His gaze grew distant, and a crease appeared in his brow. “My mother was a casualty of a war on her home planet. My brother was with her at the time and was severely injured. I always wished I could’ve helped them somehow. I was too young to go with them by mere years. If I’d been there, maybe…” Coming out of his trance, he shrugged. “There was nothing I could’ve done, obviously.”
All Alex wanted at the moment was to hug him. She imagined him scared at home after receiving the news his mother had died and his brother had been hurt. No wonder he’d dedicated his life to protecting others and forgetting about his own happiness. The man she saw before her suddenly made so much sense.
“I’m so sorry. That’s terrible. Did your brother recover?”
“He lived”—he sighed—“but he was horribly scarred. Made fun of all the time, and I don’t think he ever recovered from the ordeal mentally.” A corner of Auzed’s mouth lifted in a smile. “Before the accident, he was so happy. A young handsome male who loved to interact with everyone. He was always playing jokes on people. Then everything happened and…well, it was like I lost two family members that day.”
The poor thing! Alex’s heart cracked more and more the longer he went on. “You must’ve been close with your dad.”
He gifted her with a real smile, and her heart just about dropped into her stomach. He was devastating when he smiled. “I was. Once we were old enough to be on our own, he resumed his post. He was in my unit until the day he died. Loved being a soldier. He always said how lucky he felt to be the one to personally protect his children.”
“I’m sure he’d be proud that you’re now head guard.” She grinned but immediately realized her mistake.
His smile transformed into a thoughtful frown. “Maybe before, but now? I’m not so sure. I may not be head guard for much longer.”
“You mean if we get caught?” Guilt wormed its way deep into the marrow of her bones, and she actively tried to keep the cringe from showing on her face.
A hint of anger lit his eyes again, though he didn’t direct it at her. “Even if we make it back to Tremanta without incident, Sauven may still call for my resignation as a sort of punishment.” He locked eyes with her. “You see, the head guard isn’t allowed to be considered for marriage. They could claim that if we were planning on getting married, I would’ve already begun my search for a replacement. They know the Queen chose me for the post as well, and they may seek to punish her by punishing me.”
Oh shit. Alex let out a long groan. “So that’s what you meant about what you might lose.” She couldn’t stand to look at him anymore. Not after hearing about how his whole life had been building to this prestigious position, only to be destroyed by her effort to help. She felt tears building behind her lowered lids, but she pushed them back. If he saw them, he’d probably comfort her, and that wouldn’t be fair. “I am so sorry, Auzed.”
“It’s not your fault. Like you said, I would’ve been in trouble either way. The real mistake was crossing their territory in the first place.”
Alex jerked as the sting of that statement settled over her. If he hadn’t, she’d be dead right now.
In a low rumble, he added, “I don’t regret it, though. Whatever happens now, I don’t blame you for any of it.”
His sincerity soothed her injured feelings, and she nodded. The thought that had wormed its way into her mind on their first day together came back to her. Maybe the way she could truly make things up to him would be to marry him. She could make sure she was a good consolation prize if he lost his job. It didn’t hurt at all that she actually liked him. She wouldn’t be trying to have children, of course. He probably wouldn’t want her to marry him if he knew that.
Changing the subject, she held up a sleek sunset-orange dress. “How’s this for tonight?”
His jaw clenched as he ran his gaze over the dress. “Any Clecanian attracted to females will have a difficult time thinking if you wear that.”
Auzed’s heated stare made a shiver run down her spine. Did that mean he’d have a difficult time thinking too? “I can find something else,” she ventured.
“No.” Auzed frowned, his good mood disappearing. “You should wear it.”
Alex could only stare at him as his words settled over her. Her initial response was a shuddering Yes, sir! but his unhappy stare didn’t match the sexy comment. Knowing Auzed was a complicated creature she may never fully understand, she shrugged it off and floated to her room to get dressed, Wilson hot on her heels. Once her new clothing and accessories were neatly stowed, she studied them. Finally, Auzed was coming around.
He’d revealed such personal information to her today, and it had only made her like him more. Concerns about the future, what her life might look like in Tremanta, and his own reticence to even speak with her hung around the edge of her thoughts like a dark, foggy border, but she petulantly ignored them.
Glancing at Wilson now perched on her shoulder, she whispered, “How good do you think I should look tonight? I can go casual good or make-him-forget-his-own-name good. Thoughts, my little Wilson Phillips?” she scratched Wilson’s large floppy ears, then set her down on the bed and got to work.
Chapter 14
Zed stood with his feet spread, looking out into the distance of Sauven, and contemplated the call he was about to make. He didn’t know exactly what type of advice he was after, but he needed something. Staying in this house with Alex, not knowing what would happen and being helpless to alter his situation, was going to drive him mad.
Not to mention the impossible task of introducing her to the interested Clecanians who all so plainly aimed to steal her away. Well…they weren’t actually going to get married, though, so it wasn’t actually stealing. But they didn’t know that, dammit!
Whenever she directed a smile toward someone else, his veins sparked with electricity. And when other gazes lingered too long on her body, it took a considerable amount of his control to not physically shield her from view.
It must’ve been their extended proximity making him feel this way. Every other female he’d been with had ensured their encounters were brief and goal oriented. He’d never before had to smell the scent of a female clinging to the furniture or hear the comforting sounds of her off-key humming as she floated around their shared home.
Even her brief touches, clearly innocent and normal from her point of view, were like kindling to the flame burning in him. But it was because they were always together, wasn’t it? He’d feel this way about any female if he were around her this often and in such an intimate place.
Yes, all he needed to clear his mind was space and routine. Neither of which he’d have for another few days at least. Never in his life had he had so little to do. Alex’s quips at his restlessness had been sarcastic, but she was right. He now realized he didn’t know how to relax. Aside from the activities he did every day as part of his job, he had no hobbies. No close friends. No interests. And for the first time, he wondered if that was a problem.
Even his father had enjoyed various things in his off-hours. He’d made time to bond with his children and had liked going to plays and exploring the Histanuth Mountains to the east of Tremanta. He’d also loved to drink and laugh with his friends back
home. It had Zed questioning how satisfying his life really was if it could be destabilized this much by a week away.
Unsettled, he’d thought through every possible way he could to get out of here sooner and return to normal life, but when he came up empty, Maxu’s name popped into his mind. Out of sheer desperation, he decided Maxu might be able to brainstorm some less-than-legal approaches that he wouldn’t have considered on his own. He wanted to speak to someone who skirted the line of the law, after all. Out of his siblings, Maxu fit that bill.
Not only was his younger brother a successful ex-mercenary but he despised the temporary marriages forced upon their people and would no doubt sympathize with Auzed’s current predicament.
Each and every time Maxu had become eligible for participation in the ceremony, he’d carefully broken the law. Only enough to be deemed unfit for marriage, but still, Maxu had a way of working around a problem that Auzed found both distasteful and impressive. Resigned to the idea that his brother might actually have some good advice for him, Zed lifted the communicator and waited for the call to connect.
“Brother?” Maxu’s deep voice questioned. He sounded surprised—and for good reason too. They hadn’t spoken much recently.
“Are you busy?” Auzed asked without preamble.
A loud shout of pain echoed from the line and then was suddenly gone, as if whoever had made it was now unconscious…that’s what Zed chose to believe anyway.
“I’m free for…let’s say ten to fifteen minutes,” Maxu rumbled.
Zed let out a deep breath, not sure whether to be relieved or more worried. Deciding not to question Maxu about whatever he was up to, he quickly explained all that had happened in the past few days.
As reserved as always, Maxu grunted in response.
“I’ve never found myself in a position like this before, and I wondered if you had any thoughts on what I might be able to do to get out of it.”
“None that are legal.”
Auzed scrubbed a hand over his chin and frowned into the empty room. “If I needed advice on what legal options I had, I would’ve called Asivva.”
“Oh my. Zed, are you finally giving me the appreciation I deserve?” He could hear the grin in Maxu’s voice.
“Do you have any ideas or not?” he snapped.
“Say that you recognized her. Your eyes changed but your marks haven’t appeared,” Maxu said, in a bored tone.
Zed sucked in a breath. “That’s reprehensible. Who would lie about something like that?”
“You wanted ideas; I’m giving you ideas.”
“I haven’t sunk so far as to lie about feeling a mating bond,” Zed growled. Lying about recognition was equivalent to lying about a fatal disease or the death of a loved one. It wasn’t inherently illegal, but it was so abhorrent, he almost lost a bit of respect for Maxu for even suggesting it.
“Fine. Let me think.” After a long pause, Maxu probed, “What are your thoughts on threats and/or violence?”
“This was a mistake.” Zed shook his head. “Never mind.”
It always stunned him to see how different Maxu was than the rest of his siblings. Since they’d been young, Zed and his brothers, along with Asivva, had battled their Traxian sides, always considering them to be the temperamental barbaric parts of their personalities that needed to be tamed in order to fit into the world around them. Maxu, on the other hand, had embraced that half of himself. Never wanting to fit in, he often allowed his temper to flare wild and free.
Now as an adult, Maxu might on occasion do things that would be unthinkable to most Clecanians, but he was also more in control than any of them. It was as though letting his Traxian side guide him had helped him to become one with it. His brother knew himself. Accepted every facet of his personality and railed against the rules that directly opposed it.
“I’ll keep thinking on it, but it seems all you can do at this point is ride it out,” Maxu said, uncaring that Zed had scoffed at his completely unrealistic suggestions. “Why don’t you just enjoy the time off? The female must be interested in you to lie like that. Is she attractive?”
Stunning. Glorious. Wipes every thought from my mind with a smile. “Attractive enough.”
“Perfect. You two can enjoy each other until you get out of there. Learning the ins and outs of a human female’s form should keep you busy and out of trouble.”
Zed growled out a sound of frustration. “I thought of all people you would understand. I don’t want to marry her. I have a duty to the Temple. I can’t just give up my post for a few months of marriage. I’d have to accept an inferior position somewhere else, possibly off-planet once it was over.”
“Whoa. I wasn’t suggesting you throw your life away. I just meant while you two are locked up together, might as well have some fun. For once in your life,” Maxu added in a grumble.
His body tensed, not because of Maxu’s crass words but because his mind hissed the same thing in his ear every time he looked at Alex. Hell, every time he even smelled her.
“Oh, let me guess. It would be reprehensible, right?” Maxu taunted.
Zed grunted in agreement, even as his gaze was drawn to the ceiling where Alex’s room was. “I’m attempting to find her a mate. I can’t do that while also bedding her.”
“Why not? She doesn’t have a mate yet. If her mate is in Sauven, they’ll recognize her whether or not she fucks you in the meantime.”
“Goodbye,” Zed snarled and disconnected the communicator.
He stalked around the perimeter of the nest. Why had he thought calling Maxu would be a good idea? His brother cared about societal conventions and traditions about as much as a sefa did. Not at all.
He rounded the house, returning to the entrance, and stilled.
“I’m ready,” Alex said in a low, sultry voice. She stood on the porch clad in the soft orange dress he’d insisted she wear. Inexplicably, it somehow looked better on her than he’d imagined, which was saying something, since he’d seen it on a holographic replica with her exact measurements in the clothing café.
Her beautiful brown skin set off the subtle fiery-orange of the dress, like the colors of a sunset. Vibrant, yet soothing at the same time. She’d piled her curling hair on top of her head. The result was all at once messy and deliberate. Small locks clung to her long neck and brushed her shoulders.
She spread her arms out and raised a knowing brow. “How do I look?”
Auzed gulped. She’d also used the makeup they’d purchased to enhance her features. Muted burgundy highlighted the rich brown of her eyes. A similar color on her mouth directed his attention to how lovely the delicate bow of her lips was.
He didn’t think she was any more beautiful than before. It was still her. But she was certainly more dangerous this way. She wasn’t the type to focus on how she looked at any given moment. Her willingness to wear ill-fitting clothing to the market told him so. But now…now she knew exactly how delicious she looked, and that kind of confidence on a female like Alejandra could bring a male to his knees.
“Hard to think? Good. Mission accomplished.” She gave him a tight smile, but fire danced in her casual gaze.
Maxu’s words played through his mind. Why not keep her to myself for a time? He pushed the thought away and guided her to a transport platform before the urge to ask her to change her outfit overcame him.
Zed placed so much distance between them on the board that his heels hung off the edge as he guided them to the nest Relli had indicated.
“How can I act with these new people?” she questioned.
“What do you mean?” The dark tone in his voice that so matched his thoughts did not go unnoticed.
She glanced over her shoulder at him, and in doing so, her pinky brushed against his hand, tightly gripping the handle. “Well, I noticed that when we were at Fenut’s store, Relli smiled at both of you and Fenut did too. It felt more relaxed than what you told me is common for Clecanians. Is it because we were alone? Or because Fenut isn�
�t looking for a wife, or something? I’d love it if I could just be myself and not have to worry about not smiling or not being nice or anything, but I don’t want to offend anyone or act incorrectly and lead Fenut’s sons on.”
“Those guidelines are in place when interacting with strangers, especially male strangers, since they’re often searching for opportunities to interact with available females. Remain distant toward Fenut’s sons for a while during dinner and make it clear that you intend to marry me. Relli and I will let you know when it’s appropriate to relax your mannerisms.”
Zed ground his teeth together. It was like a blow to the gut to think she might act toward Fenut’s sons the same way she acted with him. He had no idea why, but he’d felt as if he was special to her in some way. The idea she might look at all males the way she looked at him had never occurred to him. True, she’d been instructed by him to act a certain way in public. Did that mean when he gave her the cue to relax her guard, she would smile at Fenut’s sons and reveal intimate details about her life and let them touch her?
Had he been fooling himself to think she treated him differently? That she’d been vulnerable with him alone? And why should he let himself care this much? The goal was still to find her a mate, wasn’t it?
He tried to ignore the dread and bitter jealousy that had suddenly worked its way into his stomach. Idiot. This was exactly why he’d worked so hard to keep her at a distance. Despite his best efforts, he now felt a bond with her that, in all likelihood, was something he’d completely manufactured.
On the trip over, Zed weighed the pros and cons of pushing her to remain distant the whole evening, though it would end up being very odd for her to do so, especially when everyone around her wouldn’t be. They arrived at the nest to an overeager welcoming party. Zed’s glare immediately landed on the two unfamiliar handsome males and their wide-eyed gazes as they scanned Alex up and down.
Alex averted her gaze from the eager males as she boarded the porch of the home and instead made her way over to greet Relli. Her lips appeared pinched, and Auzed was sure she was forcing herself not to smile.
Tempting Auzed: The Clecanian Series Book 4 Page 13
