“We have no knowledge of these certificates,” Lord Loeiz said. “This is a travesty!”
“They didn’t sign the certificates,” the king said. “I presume that is your signature?”
“Yes, your majesty. But when I left Dalcon, the certificates were locked in a safe. They are also dated during the time I was away, and the writing on the certificates—apart from my signature—belongs to neither me nor my assistant. I believe you’ll find it is Lady Almeda’s writing.”
“It’s a forgery!” Lady Almeda snarled and took two steps toward Eva, her expression murderous.
Saber snarled and shifted position to place himself between the two women. Lady Almeda froze in place.
Eva continued, “I believe you’d also find Lady Almeda’s fingerprints on the certificates, were you to have them tested, your majesty.”
“And the other, more serious matter of murder?” the king asked. “What proof do you have the Dearbhorgaills are responsible for the murder of their son?”
Eva glanced at Saber. The air around him started to sparkle and an instant later, he stood before the king.
Naked.
Eva slid a quick glance at the king, saw his lips twitch once before his gaze went upward and fastened on Saber’s face.
Unfazed by his nakedness, Saber took the bag from around his neck and removed several sheets of paper. “My name is Saber Mitchell, your majesty. I come from Middlemarch Resort on the planet of Tiraq, and I’m a friend of Eva’s. This morning I interviewed Huw Yolland, and took his signed and witnessed statement. He was employed by Lord Dearbhorgaill to assassinate his son, Pryce.”
“He confessed to the crime?” the king asked.
Saber nodded. “The Dearbhorgaills forced him to murder their son. Huw’s wife and young son both worked in the kitchens at the Dearbhorgaill residence. The lord and lady incarcerated his wife and son in a dungeon on the lower floors of their residence, and only released them after the deed was completed.”
Lady Almeda gasped at her husband. “Fool! You told me you’d settled that problem.”
“Quiet,” Lord Loeiz snapped.
“I will read the statements,” the king said.
“I’m not listening to this slander.” Lord Loeiz wheeled around and headed to the door. Lady Almeda fell in behind, her long skirts rustling in an agitated manner.
“Hold,” the king ordered. “Turlow, summon the guards.”
“This is ridiculous!” Lord Loeiz shouted. “It’s trickery! This woman tricked my son, stole his businesses and now she wants to claim our currency for herself.”
“The matter will be investigated,” the king said.
“Rumor on the street says the Dearbhorgaills are in debt,” Saber said. “They murdered their son in order to get their hands on his wealth, but he left everything to his widow. This created a problem.”
“I see.” The king’s voice was hard. Angry.
Eva edged nearer to Saber, ready to intercede should the king decide to take action against him for some reason.
“You knew this? Suspected this?” The king fired the questions at Eva.
“I went to the authorities. They dismissed my concerns and told me I was hysterical.”
“You had a legal marriage with Pryce?”
“Yes.” Eva glared at the king.
“Turlow, take this information and start a royal investigation.”
“Yes, your majesty,” Turlow said. “And the Dearbhorgaills?”
“Hold them under house arrest until the investigation is completed. I expect this matter to be settled by tomorrow.”
The couple shouted their outrage as guards escorted them from the chamber.
The king turned to Saber. “I can give you some clothes,” he said with a slight grin.
“That would be excellent,” Saber said.
The king cocked his head. “Where do you come from again?”
“My family lives on Tiraq, but we were originally from Earth.”
“Where on Earth?” the king asked.
“New Zealand,” Saber replied.
“That’s where my brother lives. Prince Alexandre,” the king mused. “Have you met him? He lives there with his wife, Lily.”
Eva glanced at Saber, who shook his head.
“No, your majesty.”
“No mind,” the king said. “They come to visit fairly often. I’ll send word when next they come, and maybe we could journey to your resort. I’ll tell Turlow to make a note. Turlow will also summon you to court tomorrow once this matter is settled.” And with that, the king rose from his throne and enjoyed a mighty stretch. “I’ll have someone bring you some clothes and show you out.”
A short time later, Saber now dressed, they were escorted from the palace.
“The king intends to visit your resort,” Robbie said, clearly awestruck, large eyes blinking from beneath the jagged hank of hair that flopped over his face. “Once that becomes known, your success will be ensured.”
Wrapping his arm around Eva’s waist, Saber said, “He seems a fair ruler.”
“He’s known for being just. I wish I’d thought of seeking an audience before,” Eva replied.
“You didn’t have enough proof,” Robbie said. “They can’t refute the charges against them now. The king must agree, otherwise he wouldn’t have placed them under house arrest.”
Saber growled at the back of his throat and wide-eyed Robbie sprang away until a foot separated them. His cane dropped to the floor, and he clumsily stooped to pick it up. “Did you know he could do that?”
“Do what?” Eva asked, yawning.
“That…that cat thing,” Robbie said.
“Yes. Don’t worry. He won’t hurt you. He’s a pussy cat.”
“Meow,” Saber said, and Eva started laughing. She didn’t stop for a long time.
Chapter Thirteen
Eva spent the next few hours at the original market restaurant, preparing for opening the following day. She mended broken shelves, scrubbed the kitchen from top to bottom then went to buy fresh fruit and other supplies. Saber followed as bodyguard and helper. She spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening making sauces and stocks for the following day.
Her work ethic was incredible, impressing Saber and creating a sense of pride. As he pitched in, he found himself smiling and enjoying seeing this part of her.
His mate.
Pleasure suffused him at the thought. He’d never felt this level of emotion with Lori. He’d loved her, respected her. They’d been compatible in bed, but not to the same extent as him and Eva.
“Where have you gone?” Eva asked, poking him in the ribs.
He felt a silly grin form on his lips and couldn’t stop himself from reaching for her hand and entwining their fingers. “I was thinking about Lori.”
A frown creased her forehead for a nanosecond before she smoothed out her reaction, but Saber saw. Understood.
“No, not like that. I was thinking that you’re more important to me.”
“Oh,” she said, still not looking at him.
She didn’t understand the depths of his feelings for her, but he had plenty of time to prove himself. Still, might as well start reinforcing his groundwork. He didn’t intend to leave her in Dalcon. She would return to Middlemarch Resort with him.
“What do you intend to do with the restaurants?”
Eva didn’t hesitate, which told him she’d thought about her future, maybe their future, and the thought pleased him. “I’m going to sell them. The new one—I might keep that until I can sell it as a going concern.”
Saber nodded. “Good plan.” He checked his timepiece. “It’s getting late. You need some rest.”
“I wanted to finish the prep for tomorrow.”
“I’ll help you in the morning. It can wait,” Saber said, and tugged her to the door. He flicked off the lights, locked the door and pocketed the key. He took her arm and it trembled slightly as he led her out into the dimly lit alley. Surely she
wasn’t frightened of him?
Outside, the market bustled with activity. Ladies of various species offered their wares, a gambling den lured in punters with offers of quick riches, and the scent of roast meat wafted through the air.
“Hey, Eva!” A beefy man gave a cheery wave.
Eva started at the shout, although she returned the greeting. When another man hailed her, and she jumped again, Saber started to add the clues together.
“Eva—did someone harm you?”
She flinched again but didn’t say anything.
“The Dearbhorgaills?”
“I think so. The attacker was interrupted before anything happened.”
A woman shouted out and waved, and Eva returned the acknowledgment.
“Fuck,” Saber snapped. “We must’ve scared you silly when we snatched you from your room.”
Her chin lifted. “I bit your brother, and in the jungle, I kicked Bone Nose in the groin.”
“You did a good job, kitten.”
“Why did you snatch me like that, anyway?”
Hell. Now wasn’t the time to fess up. “We like to give some women a real capture experience.”
“But why, when you have all the different rooms and fantasy experiences? I don’t understand.”
Yeah, explain that, Saber. They’d reached the outskirts of the market area where the buildings bore a coat of respectability. The doors sported bright, welcoming colors and the windows sparkled during the solar day. Now, they glinted with muted welcome, the businesses still open doing a steady trade.
The hair at the back of his neck prickled without warning, foreboding roaring through his gut. “Eva…” His hand tightened on Eva’s forearm and he drew her close, eyes scanning the groups of people, the dark corners. If there was danger, he couldn’t see where the threat was coming from.
“What is it?” she whispered, traces of fear threading into her voice.
Saber cocked his head, sniffed the air. “I don’t know.” His gaze raked the shadows where illumination from the street lamps didn’t reach.
A shot fired, the harsh bark of sound booming through an alley.
“This way,” Saber ordered, a burst of fury pulsing through his veins. Fuckin’ Dearbhorgaills. It had to be them. Nothing else made sense. Market people loved Eva. None of them would endanger her life. He wrapped his arm around Eva’s shoulders and hustled her away from the direction of the weapon fire.
A second shot boomed. Much closer. Eva bucked against his chest, cried out. Saber smelled the blood and fear weakened his knees. He staggered, regained his balance. “Eva!”
Eva had gone limp, and the scent of coppery blood filled his nostrils. His animalistic shriek of fury rang out. His cry resounded as he dragged Eva to shelter, heart pounding. He heard the thud of retreating footsteps, then only harsh breathing. His.
“Where are you hit?” His hands ran up and down her body.
“Arm hurts.”
Illumination flooded the street.
“What is it? Who’s there?” a timid feminine voice called out.
“Call the security force. Someone shot my mate,” Saber replied in a harsh voice. “Where, Eva? Let me see.”
“Hurts.”
“I know, kitten.” His voice was gentle despite the fear pulsing against his skin. His feline struggled for freedom, for the need to chase after the coward and exact revenge.
Maim.
Punish.
Mate!
“Let me see, kitten.” He peeled away her fingers, which where clamped down on her upper arm, and surveyed the wound. Still bleeding, but it looked as if the weapon charge had grazed rather than penetrated. “It’s gonna be all right,” he crooned. “It’s just a scratch.”
“Hurts.”
“I’ve called security,” the woman called, her demeanor more confident now. “Can I help?”
“I need cloth, something to stop the bleeding.” He hauled Eva farther into light and their helper gasped. Blood trickled down Eva’s arm, seeped into her clothing. Saber saw her face was paler than usual.
“Am I gonna die?”
“No, kitten. Not tonight.”
Maim.
Punish.
Mate!
His feline continued to buck beneath his skin and a growl leaked out, harsh and menacing.
The woman returned with cloth as a security vehicle purred through the air and settled on the street.
“I’ll tend to her,” the woman said. “You talk to security.”
Saber was loath to release her, had to force himself to shift aside and let the woman with her cloth and bowl of water tend Eva.
“What happened?” a lean man in a black security uniform asked. The badge on his sleeve indicated his captain status, and his no-nonsense manner and the way he surveyed the scene told of his expertise. An underling stood at his side, silent apart from the tap of fingers on a genic tab as he recorded the scene.
“Someone shot at us. The charge hit my mate.”
“Did you see them?”
“No. They kept to the shadows over there. They ran in that direction and took the lane to the left,” Saber said.
The captain’s eyes narrowed beneath the peak of his hat. “How do you know if you didn’t see them?”
“I heard them,” Saber said. “I have a dual nature. My other form is feline.” He growled, unable to restrain his anger. “I’ll catch them soon enough once I follow the scent trail.”
“We’ll check it out.”
“I will aid your search once I settle my mate safely at home.” Saber’s tone brooked no refusal. He intended to catch this coward with or without their help. “This afternoon we had an audience with the king. I suspect the family we accused of a crime is attempting to subvert justice by killing my mate. She’s been attacked in the market before. Someone means her harm.”
The captain nodded slowly. “We’ll wait for you. Wouldn’t want to trample over the trail.”
Saber nodded, appreciating a man who assimilated facts in a swift manner.
“We’ll escort you home and wait while you settle your mate. Does she require medical care?”
“No. The charge nicked her arm. She will recover.”
Saber thanked the woman for tending Eva and scooped up his mate, carrying her to the security vehicle. A short time later, they arrived at Eva’s home, and he carried her inside.
“Help yourselves to a drink,” he told the captain and his underling and hustled Eva up the stairs to her bedroom.
In the bedroom, he unwound the hasty bandage the woman had tied around Eva’s arm. “The bleeding has stopped,” he said, relived to see the rough edges were already knitting together. Everything he remembered about mates seemed to be true.
Maim.
Punish.
Mate!
Saber subdued his feline with difficulty, batting him down with a cranky inward snarl. “Do you have painkillers? They’ll help you sleep while I go out with the captain to follow the trail.”
“There’s a bottle in the drawer over there. Do you think the Dearbhorgaills arranged this?”
“I’m sure of it,” Saber said, rising to get the bottle and a glass of water. “They’ll have several men on hire to do their dirty work. We’ll get proof. Don’t worry.” He handed her two tabs and the water, placed a kiss on her temple. “Do you need anything else before I go?”
“No. Saber?”
“Yes, kitten?”
“Come back safe.”
“I promise,” he said, unable to resist kissing her lips. He forced himself to keep the kiss slow and easy, even though his feline squirmed beneath his skin, subtly demanding he imprint them both on their mate with a hard kiss and lusty sex. Saber fought the inner battle and forced himself to step away. “Sleep well, kitten.”
* * * * *
The trail was simple to follow, and Saber made short work of leading the captain to the culprit. The skinny man—hell, he was a kid—strutted around a dim and dingy pub on the edges o
f the market. His eyes were alive still with bloodlust, the excitement of taking another life, unaware he’d failed.
Maim.
Punish.
Mate!
Saber cut through the darkness in feline form, almost on the kid before anyone noticed. When the kid saw him, he backed up but Saber kept coming.
“Get away from me!” he cried out.
Not so cocky now. Saber snarled in the kid’s face, displayed his sharp canines. All the better to rip you limb from limb.
“Back off. Leave him to us.” The captain pushed past Saber and grasped the kid by his skinny biceps.
Saber snarled, the human part of him recognizing he needed to let this kid live. He gave the captain space and shifted to human.
The other patrons of the pub gasped at his transformation. A few commented about his nakedness. Saber didn’t give a fuck. “Who paid you to kill my mate?”
“Don’t know what ya talking ’bout,” the kid said.
“Where were you an hour ago?” the captain demanded.
“I be here.”
“Lie,” Saber snapped. “I can smell it on him.”
“You ask them.” The kid jerked his thumb at the other customers.
Saber leaned closer, his nostrils flaring. “The weapon is in his pocket.”
Panic flared in the kid’s eyes. “Get your hands off me! I got rights, I do.”
“Empty your pockets,” the captain ordered.
“I got rights!”
“Who hired you?” Saber demanded.
“Let me handle this,” the captain snapped.
“Fuck,” Saber muttered and shifted back to cat. By the time he sat on his haunches in front of the kid, half the pub had cleared of customers. He kept his gaze on the kid, his mouth open and his sharp canines on display.
“Who hired you?” the captain asked as he confiscated the weapon.
“Some hoity servant,” the kid said.
Saber growled.
“Said he’d pay me if I offed the woman.”
“Would you recognize him again?” the captain asked.
The kid gave an emphatic nod. “I have to meet him tomorrow. Get the rest of my fee.”
“Very well,” the captain said, and turned to his underling. “Restrain him. We’ll get his statement at the tower.”
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