Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
"Fuck her," I mutter, watching the feed. "Keep yourself safe, Lord Hairball."
"Be well. Do not touch any strange plants and..." He clears his throat, his expression shifting back to stern just as I notice a bodyguard in the background of the vid. "Be well. That is all."
It ends, and I want to scream that's all I get? But I know he can't speak openly. He's being watched at all times. I bite my lip, watching the full vid again, devouring every twitch of his eyelid, every flick of whisker. He said he missed me, twice. He didn't mention that I was his wife. He didn't mention that I was human. I know he's still protecting me, but it hurts.
I watch the vid a third time and then race back out to where I left Salvotor. I'm not surprised to find him face to face with one of the cows, speaking in a goofy baby voice to it. He's cupping its cheeks and telling it what a good boy it is, and I swear the thing loves it. "Salvotor," I bellow at him, frantic. "Is that all there is? That one vid?"
"Hm?" He looks over at me. "Oh, yeah. That's all they sent. And I totally didn't eat a vitamin pellet, in case you're wondering."
I wave off his words. I'm too focused on the fact that Zhur isn't coming back. Why is this hitting me so hard? Why did I think he was coming back? Of course he's not. He's going to do his duty and exile gracefully all so his brother will call off the hunt. My heart hurts, and it's hard to think straight. I feel betrayed, even though I know I shouldn't. Of course Zhur isn't coming back. Our marriage was a temporary thing...wasn't it? Just a couple of fuck buddies having a good time together.
Every day with you was a joy.
I just...
When I hear that, I don't feel like a fuck buddy. I feel like more. But am I just reading too much into things? Am I feeling more for him than he's feeling for me? "So...what now?"
"Well, if I'd eaten a pellet—which I didn't—I might be a little worried that I'd get sick," Salvotor says helpfully. "We should know in a few hours."
"No, no, I mean with Zhur. What happens to him now?"
Salvotor blinks as if not understanding the question. "I...guess he'll do his thing at his brother's wedding and then they'll ship him off someplace quiet and remote and pretend like he doesn't exist."
My heart clenches. For some reason, a memory springs to mind—of me, waking up to find myself in a glass enclosure with a pallet in the dirt. I'd woke up trapped, confused, and very, very alone. Zhur's going to be alone, too.
But...he doesn't have to be.
The moment the idea hits me, I know it's the right thing to do. I grab Salvotor by the arm. "When's your crew coming to get you?"
"In a few weeks when they come back with supplies. Why?"
A few weeks? That's too long to wait if I'm going to crash a wedding. "Okay. You stay here with the farm, all right? I'm trusting you to run things while I'm gone."
He looks utterly delighted. "You are? I am? Wait, where are you going?"
"I'm going to visit Lady va'Rin and her husband. I need to hitch a ride to get to that wedding."
CHAPTER
ONE HUNDRED FIFTEEN
Days Later
ZHUR
I wake up from a nightmare in a cold sweat, my fur plastered against my skin.
Immediately, I get up and pace my quarters. I haven't had a nightmare since that night in Maeve's barn, and I'd forgotten how much they rattle me. Even now, as I pace the cold marble floors and watch the sun rise, I still feel trapped inside the dream. In my nightmare, I'm racing through the halls, looking to escape. First, I'm hunting for an escape pod. Then, I'm hunting for my trunks and my credits. Once I find everything, I realize that I've somehow lost Maeve, and I spend the frantic end of my dream searching wildly for her until I wake up...
...into an empty bed.
It doesn't take a genius to realize what my dreams are about.
I move toward the window in my quarters, ignoring the guard that hovers in the shadows. He's there for my protection as much as my brother's. I expect to be watched at all moments. My brother's no fool and I'd do the same in his position. Gazing out the window, I watch the sun rise, the light taking on a familiar diffuse halo the moment it hits the environmental dome that surrounds Praxii Minor's capital city. I don't open the window. I don't want to give my guard cause for alarm, and I'm not sure I'll enjoy the smell anyhow. Everything is different now. The scent of metal and ozone is no longer refreshing, my bed is empty, and my dreams are full of unfinished business.