by Hope Hart
“Huh.”
I don’t know what to make of that, so I lift my hand, and the huge room goes silent as Brix approaches.
“Dispute between two families,” he tells me. “Tevar swears that Inax promised that his daughter would mate with his son. Inax disagrees with this.”
I sigh. So it begins.
Alexis
I thought I’d use this time to go over my notes—both the notes I’ve collected about the dragon and the data I’m collating about the female birth rates.
Instead, I immediately get sucked in to watching Dexar rule. He heaves a long-suffering sigh, and I fight back a smile. While it’s evident that he’d rather be almost anywhere else, the qatai doesn’t hurry anyone who approaches him, taking the time to examine each person’s problem from all angles.
First, he deals with two warriors who were close friends, both with an understanding that the first warrior’s daughter would mate with the second warrior’s son when they came of age.
Unfortunately, the daughter fell in love with a hunter who is rarely at camp, and the son fell in love with a woman from Rakiz’s tribe. Neither of them plan to mate with each other, and their parents are still getting used to the idea.
“Sadly, we cannot control the actions of our children, no matter how much we would like to,” Dexar says. “I suggest you accept this because this tribe will never be one that takes part in forced matings.”
Both warriors bluster, protesting that this isn’t what they were asking for. Dexar simply raises one eyebrow. If he were wearing a watch, I have no doubt that he would pointedly glance at it.
Next is a couple who are planning to be mated and looking for their qatai’s blessing. The male is wearing gold bands, similar to the ones I spotted around Nevada’s wrists. Dexar smiles, leaving his throne to hug the woman and slap her future mate on the back.
Then comes a woman who stands in front of the crowd, her face pale, while I shift uncomfortably in my chair. She’s pretty, with a restrained kind of beauty that makes you take a second look.
“Let me understand, Parit,” Dexar says. “You would like me to order a warrior to be your mate?”
Parit flushes, and I shoot Dexar a look. There’s no need to be mean.
“He promised me,” she says quietly. “It has been understood that we would mate since we both learned what mating truly means.”
Aw. Poor thing. Her guy has done her dirty, but instead of moving on with her life, she seems to think her qatai will step in.
Even I know better.
“And you believe I should order him not to mate with the female he has already pledged himself to?”
She hesitates but nods, and I sigh. Whispers break out amongst the crowd, and Dexar raises his head, green eyes scanning the room. Within moments, the room is silent.
“You know better than this,” Dexar says gently, and her eyes fill with tears. “You know I will not order anyone to mate against their will in this tribe.”
She does know. It’s clear by the jut of her chin that this was what she was expecting to hear. This wasn’t about attempting to force this guy to be her mate. It was about telling everyone—including the qatai—about what he had done.
One thing I’ve learned on Agron? For Braxian warriors, honor is everything. And this woman has just painted herself as a victim, ensuring that everyone will look at her with pity, while her ex-boyfriend will be seen as a two-timing asshole.
Dexar glances at me. “What do you think the solution is to this problem?”
More whispering. I feel my face heat and send him a killing look. A smile plays around his mouth, and I want nothing more than to sucker punch him for drawing more attention to me.
“I have no idea. I’m not the ruler here. You are.”
Dexar’s smile widens. “And what would you say to this woman if you were the ruler?”
“You want to give me your job?”
He simply gestures to Parit, who looks uncertain.
I sigh. “If I were the ruler here, I would encourage you to move on with your life,” I tell her honestly. “By coming here and painting yourself as the victim, you’ve made yourself look weak. Is that what you were hoping to achieve?”
The room is so silent it’s as if no one is even breathing.
“No, qatal.”
I frown at the word and glance at Dexar. The smile has left his face as he narrows his eyes on the woman. The color drains from her face, and she takes a deep breath.
“He passed me over,” she says suddenly. “He made me promises, and then he chose another female. He lied to me.”
Gasps sound. Parit is determined to paint her ex as a man without honor.
“Did he choose this woman while you were still together?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Alexis is asking if this male was still visiting your furs while also visiting those of another.”
Her face burns bright red, but I have little sympathy. She chose to air her dirty laundry in public. Now she gets to deal with the consequences.
“No, qatai.”
I tilt my head. “So he told you that he no longer wanted to be with you before he turned to another woman?”
Parit has tears in her eyes when she looks at me, but she nods her head.
“That’s called life,” I tell her. “Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, things just don’t go your way.”
Tears are rolling down her face now, and I sigh. It’s not that I don’t have any sympathy for this woman; it’s just that I hate seeing how she’s burning her own life to the ground in an effort to throw shade at her ex.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this tribe, it’s that the people here gossip about everything. Instead of choosing to move on and be happy, Parit has turned her life into a spectacle.
Some people just don’t have enough grit. They lack resilience. When their world falls apart, they fall apart with it, and they spend so much energy feeling persecuted and victimized by life that they forget to do the most important thing.
Pivot.
I get it, change sucks, especially when you’re not used to it. But most people spend so much time fighting change that they forget to search for the opportunities it brings.
“What is your ruling?” Dexar asks me.
“There is no ruling. There’s nothing that can be done here. Happiness is the best revenge, so I suggest you move on.” I pause, thinking for a moment. “I recently heard that sometimes females move to other tribes to find their mates. This is completely up to you, of course, but sometimes, a fresh start can be just what you need.”
Parit seems to think this over, finally nodding. There’s nothing else to say, and she backs away, moving toward the large entranceway.
“What was that?” I mutter to Dexar.
“Just making sure you don’t fall asleep over there.”
I narrow my eyes at him, and he winks at me. Then his face turns cold as he glances up at the entranceway.
Nara is walking in, a guard on either side of her. She’s still wearing the dress she was wearing when she attacked me, and the sleeve has a rust-stained blotch of blood on it. Yari’s blood. I swallow back bile.
“What’s going on?” I murmur, and Dexar glances at me.
“This is Nara’s trial.”
“Where’s her representation?”
“Excuse me?”
“Who is going to argue her side?”
“There is no side. She attacked you and was caught in the act.”
Shit. As much as I hate what Nara did, it’s clear that she wasn’t in her right mind.
“Fine. I’ll represent her.”
“No, you won’t.”
I grind my teeth until my jaw hurts, watching as Nara is led closer until she’s just a few feet away.
Dexar’s face is cold as he eyes her. “You attacked Yari with no provocation and attempted to kill Alexis—a female under my protection. What do you have to say in your defense?”
&
nbsp; This isn’t a trial. It’s a fucking sentencing. It’s difficult to reconcile this man with the guy I see when we’re alone.
I wonder if it’s difficult to never be able to show your true self in public. To have to be seen as a cold, merciless ruler.
“I am the chosen one,” Nara says, her eyes pleading as they stare up at Dexar. “Ask my mother. She will tell you.”
Dexar’s eyes narrow with a hint of pity. It’s clear that whatever is going on in Nara’s head is likely thanks to her mother.
“Bring Gira forward,” Dexar says, and the crowd murmurs as an older woman steps through the entranceway, also escorted by guards. She looks so similar to her daughter that if she had no lines on her face, and if her hair also had a white streak, it would be difficult to tell them apart.
“You know of the crime your daughter has committed. What do you have to say for your lies?” Dexar asks.
“They’re not lies,” she spits. “I have known since she was a child that Nara was to be the chosen one. Look at her!”
You could hear a pin drop as Dexar gets to his feet. Even I know better than to order Dexar around in public.
“I am looking,” Dexar says softly. “And all I see is a female who has been twisted by her mother’s falsehoods. You are the true culprit here.”
I open my mouth and then slam it closed. Nara’s actions are her own, but her mom should also be held accountable for her part.
Gira turns to me, her eyes filled with hate. “You are a pretender!” she shrieks, and I tense as she leaps toward me. The guards are holding her tight, and she doesn’t move, but I shiver at the look on her face anyway. If she could, this woman would kill me right now.
I don’t understand it. I’ve been in this tribe for approximately five minutes. What could I have done to inspire such loathing?
“You are nothing but a slut,” Gira says. “You will never be the chosen one.”
Dexar nods at one of the guards, and he slaps his hand over Gira’s mouth.
“So,” Dexar says softly, turning to me. “What is the punishment for attempting to murder another on your planet?”
I gulp. “Prison,” I croak out. “Those who are proven guilty are sent to prison.”
Dexar shakes his head. “We do not imprison females on this planet.”
“But you put them to death?”
“Neither I nor my father have ever needed to do such a thing.” Dexar eyes both women, and they pale. “But there is a first time for everything.”
Somehow, I know he’s bluffing. Dexar has no intention of putting these women to death, but he’s obviously proving a point here so that word will spread about his leniency. He needs to be able to give that mercy without appearing weak. He can’t have anyone attempting murder so close to his own rooms.
I clear my throat, suddenly certain that he wants me to play along.
“I’m asking for mercy,” I say, and Dexar turns to me, tilting his head.
“What was that?” he purrs, and I narrow my eyes at him.
“Mercy,” I say, raising my voice so that everyone in the room can hear.
“These women have committed a grievous crime,” he says, and I can see people in the crowd nodding firmly.
“Death,” an old woman hisses, and Dexar raises his eyebrow at me.
I wish I had my trump card to play right now. But Zarix and Beth aren’t here, so I have no proof that they’re planning to mate, which means Dexar’s unlikely to give me that favor he’ll owe me.
“Death is not something I am comfortable with,” I say, choosing my words carefully. “I have done my best to integrate into your culture, but as one of the victims, I am pleading for mercy.”
“A bargain,” Dexar says, and I squirm as the crowd goes silent again. Bargaining with Dexar never ends well.
“What kind of bargain?”
“You will move into my rooms.”
“No!” Nara cries, and a guard slaps his hand over her mouth as well.
I stare at Dexar. Something tells me that I’ve been played. He lifts his brow, and I wish nothing more than to be alone with the infuriating jackass so I can tell him exactly what I think of this particular bargain.
“Fine,” I grind out, and his smile is blinding.
He turns to the two women, his face hardening once more. “You will leave this tribe. You will not be welcome back here, nor will you be welcomed by any of our allies. I suggest you find work in Nexia.”
The crowd erupts, and Dexar’s eyes stay cold as the two women are led away.
Chapter Nine
Alexis
“This is some bullshit right here,” I mutter as three overly muscled warriors haul my wooden trunks into Dexar’s rooms. The qatai raises his eyebrow from where he’s sitting at the table eating breakfast but keeps his eyes on whatever he’s reading.
“You made a bargain,” he reminds me, and I grit my teeth.
“I like my rooms.” Yes, I’m sulking.
Dexar finally raises his head. “You’ll like these better. This is for your own safety.”
“There’s no reason to think that anyone else would hurt me. Nara wasn’t in her right mind.”
“Regardless, you made the deal. In front of hundreds of witnesses, I might add.”
“That was underhanded, by the way. If you wanted me in here, why’d you have to bargain in front of everyone else? Now they’ll think I’m sleeping with you.”
I kick out at a padded chair, and Dexar grins.
“You are sleeping with me.”
“We may be sharing a bed, but I’m not having sex with you.”
“Yet.” He pushes back from the table and prowls toward me. “You’re not tumbling me yet.”
I attempt to ignore the way the muscles in my lower stomach clench at the heated look in his eyes. That way lies madness. How can I possibly be so damn charmed by this primitive barbarian?
“You’re not as sexy as you think you are,” I mumble, and he flashes me a wicked grin, stepping even closer.
The bells ring, announcing a visitor, and Brix appears.
“Zarix has returned, qatai.”
My eyes widen. “Is Beth with him?”
Brix nods, his mouth quirking. “A human female has traveled with him, yes.”
I grin at Dexar, and he raises his eyebrow. “I’ll have Beth sent to you,” he says.
“I’m going to go work in the other kradi,” I say. “Can you have her meet me there?”
He nods, and I smile at him.
“Thank you.”
My thoughts are racing as I make my way to the small kradi I’ve designated as my office. My map hangs on the wall, and I study it. I have no idea whether Dexar will actually let me travel to the dragon’s territory.
He stipulated that the favor could be anything as long as I didn’t leave. Technically, this would mean leaving the camp even though I’d be returning.
I chew my lip. Dexar is tricky. I should’ve been more specific with my wording.
“Hey!”
I turn and jump to my feet, wrapping Beth in a hug. “How are you? How’s your leg?”
She glances down at it ruefully. “Well, I’m off the crutches, and I’m slowly strengthening it. I’ll never be a professional dancer again, but that’s kind of a moot point now.”
“It is?”
She smiles. “Yeah. I’ve decided to stay here. Zarix and I are planning to have a mating ceremony just as soon as we round everyone up. I want everyone to be there together, you know?”
Wow. First Nevada and now Beth. And then there’s Ellie all knocked up back at Rakiz’s tribe. These girls are dropping like flies.
I grin. “I get it. I’m so happy for you. Not only are you in luuurve, but you’ve just helped me win a very important bet.”
Beth pushes her long dark hair off her shoulder and raises one elegant brow. “Oh yeah?”
We sit cross-legged on the floor while I explain my bet with Dexar, and Beth laughs when I tell her how Dexar ins
isted Zarix would never take a mate.
“I wouldn’t have believed it myself,” she says. “The guy was the definition of a dedicated bachelor.”
“Beth?”
We both turn as Javir pokes his head in the kradi. His face is blue, his eyes slitted, and he grins at Beth as if she’s his best friend.
“Alexis, you remember Javir,” Beth says.
“I do.”
“He’s going to be staying with me and Zarix from now on.”
Javir shoots her a look so filled with love that my heart melts.
Then his gaze fixates on the map I’ve hung on the far wall of my kradi. “Wow,” he says. “What are you looking for?”
“Dragons,” I say, and he snorts.
“There’s only one.”
“Yes, so I’ve heard.”
Javir steps closer, studying the map. “This is wrong,” he says. “Dragons hate the heat.”
“One of his scales was found near that desert.”
Javir shrugs. “Maybe he lost it while he was flying over, or maybe he was hunting. Everyone knows Dragix lives in the mountains.”
I stare at him. “They do? He does?”
Javir gives me a look like I may be the dumbest adult he’s ever met.
“Javir,” Beth says, her tone warning, and he rolls his eyes.
“Braxians don’t know anything about Dragix. They stay in their tribes and they avoid him because he would eat them up.”
“But you know about him?”
“People who live in the forest know about him. We know when not to hunt and when to avoid certain areas.”
I stare at the kid. “Tell me everything.”
He laughs and sits down cross-legged before leaning forward intently. “Well, Dragix hunts at dawn and dusk. He usually eats animals, but if you’re stupid enough to be where he’s hunting, he either can’t tell the difference or he doesn’t care.”
I mull over that. “So he eats people?” This is bad news for Charlie.
Javir shrugs. “One time, when my mother was young, a pack of Voildi hunted the dragon.” He grins fiercely. “Dragix blew fire and burned them up. Voildi must taste bad because he didn’t even eat them. He just dumped the bodies back in Voildi territory.” Javir’s voice is low with awe. “His fire is so hot some of their bones had turned to ash.”