Tempting Auzed: The Clecanian Series Book 4

by Victoria Aveline

  She held in a sigh. She supposed it was for the best. He’d had years of practice feeling nothing and remaining distant. Maybe it wouldn’t be so hard for him to revert to a normal life. Alex would never go back to normal. She’d think about Auzed every single day of her life and what could’ve been. Wilson nuzzled her head under Alex’s chin, and her little claws tightened around her messy braid.

  From the corner of her eye, she noticed people floating toward them, but neither Meg nor Daunet were among the group. Ice sluiced down her spine. Fierad led. The king traveled behind, flanked by two soldiers. And there was one other person…Relli?

  “What do they want?” she whispered to Auzed.

  He stared in the direction of the quickly approaching group with furrowed brows and a tense jaw. “Nothing good.”

  “Oh, good! We caught you before you left,” Fierad said, stepping off his platform in a flourish. His grin was wide, his white teeth flashing dangerously.

  Alex focused on a confused Relli, who gave a small shake of her head, indicating she didn’t know why they were there either.

  “Let’s get this done with, Ranger,” King Bet drawled as he too stepped onto the nest porch.

  Fierad plastered his hand to Relli’s back and all but shoved her toward Auzed.

  “Ranger!” the king barked. “Do not dare touch a female like that again.”

  He barely flinched at the king’s scolding tone. “Apologies, I’m just excited to see justice served. Auzed, I have a signed order here to have you swayed.”

  Silence reigned as Auzed glared. He didn’t appear perturbed or anxious. Had he known this was coming?

  Fierad continued to speak, seeming to find joy in explaining the situation. “See, when the regents confirmed your resignation papers were in order, I realized that since you aren’t head guard anymore, there’s nothing stopping us from swaying you.”

  “I have places to be, Ranger,” King Bet grated from behind them.

  He shot a glance over his shoulder. “Yes, of course.” Fierad caught Alex’s eye. “I wanted to make sure he was here as a witness. Relli.” He just stopped himself from pushing a furious-looking Relli toward Auzed again. Instead, he waved forward, urging her to start.

  Back turned to the king and Fierad, Relli raised her brows at both of them, and Alex knew. Relli was going to try to lie. Going to fake the sway. Would Auzed go along with it, though? He hated lying, but surely he’d do it now. Sweat gathered in the small of her back. Was he angry enough with her to throw it all away and tell the truth? She didn’t think he would, but she’d also never seen him as enraged as he’d been last night.

  “Auzed.” Relli began swaying from side to side. “Look at me.” Her voice, smooth as velvet, held a surprising amount of power. Enough so that everyone on the porch shifted their gaze to look at Relli.

  Just as she had before, Alex shook the sway off as soon as it curled around her mind. She saw from the small head shakes of the king and of Fierad that they’d experienced the same thing.

  “You will answer Fierad’s questions.” Relli swayed in front of him for a moment longer, but her gaze grew worried.

  Pushing his way past Relli, Fierad placed himself in front of Auzed. “Now you’ll see, Majesty. They’ve been lying from the beginning.”

  King Bet crossed his arms, and his gaze darkened. “I’ll give you one more minute before I leave, Fierad.”

  Alex tried to catch Relli’s gaze. Relli gave a small shake of her head. Had Auzed not broken out of it?

  “Did Alejandra say she’d marry you?” Fierad asked with a wide smile.

  Alex sucked in a breath. What could she do? Was there some kind of diversion she could make?

  “Yes, Alejandra said she’d marry me,” Auzed answered in a monotone.

  Fierad’s jaw dropped. Alex just stopped her own jaw from dropping. Was he faking it? He must be.

  “Alright. Now that we’ve settled that, let’s let our guests leave in peace,” the king grumbled as though being dragged here had been the last thing in the universe he’d wanted to do.

  “No. Wait!” Fierad found his voice. “I don’t understand…” He spun on Relli. “Is this your doing? I’ve had my reservations about you, demskiv, but if you’d stoop to that level—”

  Relli let out a squeak as Fierad lunged at her. Fury flared through Alex white hot, and she stepped forward too.

  “Ranger!” the king boomed, directing his guards toward Fierad as well.

  But before any person could reach him, Wilson had propelled herself off Alex’s shoulder and buried her tiny claws into Fierad’s face. She scratched and blasted shrill trumpets into his ears.

  He tried to pry her off, clawing at her and swatting her with his tail while stumbling around. All hands reached toward him as one as he took one step too far and toppled off the nest porch with a bellow.

  Alex raced to the ledge. “Wilson!” Her heart resumed beating when she spotted the tuey gliding toward a tree to their left. Fierad continued to fall away from them until a bright-blue electric current illuminated in a wave all around him and caught him. He bounced into the air once, then settled. He was too far away to hear clearly, but she’d bet he was down there turning purple with the string of curses he was letting out.

  “Well, perhaps that was for the best.” King Bet sighed, staring down at Fierad, who kept attempting to rise only to fall back down again.

  “Auzed, wake up,” Relli gently called, pulling him from the sway.

  Like a shot, Auzed’s body tensed. With an emotionless nod to the king, he turned on his heel and strode back inside the nest.

  The way he avoided her gaze while brushing past was like a kick to the gut.

  “You’d better go retrieve him.” The king got back onto his travel platform and waved toward Fierad far below with his tail. As his guards took off to do as he’d asked, he faced Relli. “Relli, is it?”

  “Yes, Majesty.” She nodded with wide eyes.

  He gave her a small, restrained smile. “A superior treating a subordinate like that is unacceptable. I assure you, Fierad is in for a demotion as well as relocation. As I’m in charge of the rangers in Sauven, I’d like to formally apologize for his actions as well as his bias toward you.”

  Relli let out a shaky breath, but a small smile appeared on her face and her tail swished from side to side. “Thank you, Majesty. I appreciate it.”

  “Would you mind joining me so we can discuss who a suitable replacement may be?”

  Relli inhaled a large breath and beamed while trying to keep her grin at bay. She gave an excited nod, then ran over to Alex and wrapped her in a tight hug. “I don’t know what happened. I tried to distract everyone so he could break out of it, but I don’t think he did. Get out of here while you still can,” she whispered with a final squeeze and a smile.

  “Go nominate yourself, girl!” Alex whispered back, then watched her hop onto Fierad’s vacated travel platform.

  “Have a safe trip back to Tremanta,” the king said with a quick nod toward Alex. He and Relli glided away, not waiting for the guards, who were far below retrieving Fierad.

  Alex let out a relieved breath. It was done. King Bet didn’t believe Fierad, and Relli was finally rid of him. Wilson glided over from the tree she’d been climbing and landed in Alex’s outstretched arms. “Good job, you little hero.”

  Steps behind her told her Auzed had emerged from the house. She turned to look at him, and any bit of good mood she’d gained from watching Fierad make a fool of himself faded. He stared ahead, refusing to meet her gaze. Wilson let out a sad whine that matched the choked whimper clogging Alex’s throat.

  “How did you do it?” she asked.” Did you break out of the sway?” Her attention caught on a large floating silver orb approaching them.

  Auzed seemed unperturbed by the enormous ball, so she relaxed. She looked back at him, waiting for an answer. His Adam’s apple bobbed. Gaze shifting to the ground, then back to the orb, he cleared his throat. “I was
under the sway. I didn’t lie.”

  “But—”

  He focused on her, and his green eyes hardened. “You did offer to marry me. Once. You may not remember, since it clearly wasn’t sincere, but I do. A Clecanian male would never forget an offer like that.”

  Alex remained still as he strode past her to meet the large orb pulling alongside the porch. Memories of their time together flew through her mind. In the kitchen of the nest on their first night here. She’d been a moment away from breaking down, and she’d offered. But he’d turned her down. If I married you, it wouldn’t be to get out of a lie. And it wouldn’t be because you pity me or feel indebted or because you’re desperate. His words replayed through her mind, and they stung all the more because he’d asked her to marry him last night and she’d refused.

  A long section of the shiny ball slid open, revealing a comfortable, cushioned interior. Meg waved from inside, as did Daunet. Their expressions faltered as they gazed between her and Auzed. She could only assume what the two of them looked like. Not to mention the pulsing tension between them.

  Since Daunet and Meg were seated next to each other on one side of the cruiser, Alex and Auzed were forced to crowd in on the other. The confined quarters made it so the sides of their bodies touched and, selfishly, Alex was grateful. While it might have been the last thing in the world Auzed wanted, the simple press of his thigh against hers was electric. She greedily luxuriated in the heat of his body and his scent, knowing she’d never be this close to him again.

  The reminder had her throat closing up, and she held in a swallow to keep the sob from pouring out of her mouth.

  “Happy to be leaving?” Meg asked awkwardly, gaze ping-ponging between them. She’d been present when they’d left the party last night and could probably guess what had happened.

  Alex knew she looked terrible. Puffy eyes and pale skin from crying all night instead of sleeping. It made her feel fractionally better to see that Auzed wasn’t looking his best either. His green eyes had dulled and, though she could’ve been imagining it, it seemed like the markings that decorated his body weren’t shining quite so brightly today.

  Daunet, who’d placed her hands on her knees and locked her arms in the most stiff, unnatural way, was doing nothing to ease the awkwardness in the confined cruiser. The door slid shut, and a gentle shift told Alex they were moving. “Sir, I’ve gotten word that a house has been prepared for Alex at the Temple. We should be arriving in about an hour. They gave her a house on the far East, but, as I told the Queen—”

  “I’m not your superior anymore, Daunet. You don’t need to address me as sir. Whoever the Queen assigns as Heard Guard can deal with whatever the problem is,” Auzed interrupted in a clipped voice. Not impolite, but not soft either.

  Alex stiffened. Her jaw grew sore from grinding her teeth. Meg caught her eye and raised her brows in question, trying to have a silent conversation. It was a conversation Alex couldn’t handle at the moment, so she dropped her gaze to her lap, head hanging.

  Daunet’s jaw was still hanging open midsentence. She studied Auzed with disbelief. Then stammered, “N-no. That can’t… But, sir,” she implored.

  He raised a hand to silence her. “Not now, Daunet.”

  She snapped her mouth closed and glared into the floor of the cruiser.

  Alex peeked over at Auzed’s lap, not brave enough to sneak a glance at his face, and found his fists balled tight on his thighs. God, how she wanted to reach for his hand, grasp it, and soothe him. But that would be cruel.

  She squirmed in her seat, attempting to give him a bit more space, but all she managed was to make their legs not press together quite so tightly. His knuckles turned white.

  After a moment, Auzed shifted. If an outsider looked at the microscopic movement of his legs, they’d assume he was simply getting comfortable, but the pressure that returned to her thigh made her wonder if he’d done it on purpose. Needing the contact as much as she did before they said their goodbyes.

  Meg and Daunet both took the hint and remained silent for the entire ride. Daunet had said the trip would take an hour. It felt infinitely longer than that.

  The heavy air in the cab of the cruiser was muddled. Across from her, Meg pulsed with curiosity and concern. Daunet with irritation. Waves of grief, doubt, and barely contained longing rolled off Alex. But from Auzed? Nothing.

  He didn’t appear to feel anything at all. Which was the reason the cruiser felt so crushing. Like walking into one of those scientifically soundproofed rooms. She’d watched videos of people trying to remain in those places. None of them could for very long. The oppressive silence was so unnatural, it could drive a person crazy within hours.

  That was what Auzed’s aura added to the mix. Nothingness that was louder than anything else and made each of the women in the cruiser itch with stress. Alex twirled her ring around her finger, polishing the inside with the repeated motion.

  When they came to a halt and the side of the cruiser slide open, Meg released a harsh, “Oh thank God,” and all but dove over Daunet to get outside.

  “I brought a token and pads for Alex,” Daunet said softly, dropping a small purple circle into Auzed’s outstretched hand, along with rubbery thin ovals. “I’ll wait by the lake to take her to her house.”

  “I’ll see her off, then take the cruiser to my lodging on the West end,” he rumbled.

  It seemed like Daunet wanted to say more as she stared between them. Instead, she resolutely set her jaw and climbed out.

  Alex and Auzed remained frozen. He was blocking the exit. She watched the vein in his neck pulse while he stared into the empty seats across from him. His thigh twitched.

  Finally, with a deep inhale, he stood and climbed out of the cruiser. She and Wilson followed, the tuey still wrapped tightly around her neck, attempting to contain the waves of sadness with her little body. They rounded the large orb, and she spotted Meg and Daunet speed-walking toward an incredible sight. A lake topped with blossom-like floating houses glittered in the sun before her. The Pearl Temple. He’d described it to her. How the water was guarded by glowing creatures, and how only those with a token and approved access could cross it.

  She couldn’t seem to appreciate the beauty of the Temple, though. Everything felt wrong. The ground under her feet was too firm, giving her the odd impression that her legs hurt. And Auzed was wrong too. He wasn’t himself anymore.

  They stood facing each other, but their gazes were both shifted away. She should say something. Anything.

  “I…” She cleared her throat. He lifted his eyes to her, and tight lines formed around his mouth. She tried again. “I want you to know I didn’t always plan to try to go back to Earth.”

  He studied her face, his spine straight and his shoulders impossibly solid.

  “I didn’t even know it was an option. It was only three days ago that Meg told me the Queen here was working toward it and that it might be possible,” Alex said in a rush. She gulped. “Leaving you isn’t something I want to do. You know that, right?”

  He flinched as if she’d slapped him. “I do,” he whispered, almost too low for her to hear. Reaching forward, he gently lifted her wrist. The contact sent a bolt of heat up her arm, goose bumps breaking out all over her body. He swept her long, baggy sleeve up and turned her wrist over until her inner arm was pointed up. With an odd suctioning motion, the purple token he placed on her inner wrist attached to her skin.

  Though the token was in place, he didn’t let go. His thumb swept over the sensitive skin of her inner arm just above her wrist, and he gazed into her eyes. “I hope you get back to them, Alejandra. And I hope you’ll be happy.”

  Tears burned behind her eyes. She choked on her own words and could only nod.

  Suddenly, Wilson squeaked. With a small leap, she jumped the short distance to Auzed and wrapped herself around his neck, sliding her eyes shut and squeezing.

  Alex draped an arm around her belly, the hollowness in her stomach gnawing at he
r. Even Wilson knew this was a mistake. Maybe the biggest of her life. The sudden urge to plead for more time built in her. But that wasn’t fair. More time would only mean more pain down the road, and the last thing she wanted to do was cause either of them more pain.

  Auzed let out a sigh and stroked the little animal’s fur before peeling her off despite trumpeted objections. He placed her in Alex’s arms.

  With a stilted nod, he held Alex’s gaze for a tense moment, then turned and strode away.

  She remained stuck in place, lead seeping into her soles. As he climbed into the cruiser without looking back, the tears came.

  Chapter 26

  For over a week, Alex had been adrift. She’d met a dozen other humans, all excited to befriend her. Lily had been inundating her with requests to visit as well. But the buzz of activity around the Temple held little appeal. She didn’t want to see Lily, happy and settled with her fucking soul mate.

  The progress toward returning to Earth was now more important than ever, and she put every ounce of strength she had into learning all she could about intergalactic law. As if trying to prove that the choice to be apart from Auzed was justifiable.

  She’d even petitioned a meeting with the Queen in order to volunteer her services in whatever way she could. Maybe the Queen would send her away somewhere to be a human representative. Off to an Alliance meeting in the sky to plead on behalf of humans, perhaps. Anywhere would be better than here.

  The seat under the large front window of her house had a permanent divot in it from hours spent kneeling and looking through the glass, hoping to spot a glimpse of Auzed. He didn’t work here anymore, but she’d heard whispers from the other women that he’d been taking care of a few unhandled duties around the Temple until a new head guard could be assigned.

  It also smelled strongly of pineapple in this section of the house, since Wilson tended to occupy the seat whenever Alex wasn’t. The abundant sunshine that blazed across the sky when she actually left her house only worked to sour her moods. She found herself indoors whenever possible, curled up with Wilson in a dark corner.