by Lea Kirk
“I see you thinking, Auntie.”
Meryl met her goddaughter’s shrewd gaze. “So?”
Kit-Kat’s laughter filled the tiny apartment kitchen. “That’s your I’m plotting revenge face.”
“No, it isn’t.” Yes, it was. “You don’t suppose Bezchians have bank accounts, do you?”
“Let’s try something more…legal.”
“Party pooper.”
“Prison isn’t a party.”
She gave a snort and leaned back in her chair. “It could be, if we shared a cell.”
“Well, yeah, there is that.” Kit-Kat grinned. “But let’s try to stay on this side of the bars. What else can we do? Report him to Silverstar?”
The agency wouldn’t, couldn’t, do anything. Rol wasn’t a client of theirs—wait a goddamn minute. A slow grin tugged the corners of her mouth. “Kit-Kat, I think I have an idea….”
And Kathy had the technical expertise to pull it off.
Chapter 15
Robyn navigated a grocery cart through the cereal aisle, the front wheel clacking sideways every other step. Thank God for her little support group, Meryl and Kathy. If not for them, she’d have gone home, canceled the weekend with Kyzel, and cried into a glass of chardonnay, alone.
Thank God Meryl wasn’t like Rol, that was for sure. Imagine being jealous enough to try to undermine a friend’s love life. What kind of friend did that?
A pretty pathetic one.
That was going to be a hard conversation to have with Kyzel, but she wasn’t going to be the replacement wife. She caught her lower lip between her teeth. What if he didn’t want to hear it, though? What if he got pissed off and ended their relationship anyway? A spike of hurt shot through her heart, just like when Rol had cornered her. Hopefully it’d take a lot more than that to—
“Robyn?”
She jerked her head around. “Kevin?”
Her ex grinned as he pushed his own cart closer. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you didn’t grocery shop on Mondays anymore.”
She didn’t, not since four months after the divorce, because he used to miraculously always be there at the same time. Was he back to his old tricks? “Just came in for a few things.”
“Me too.” He waved his hand over his cart. “Planning a dinner for two with Raven.”
“Oh?” She eyed his items. Potatoes, baked beans, a head of lettuce, croutons, two steaks, and a bouquet of pink carnations. Could it be that he really wasn’t stalking her this time? “She’s a New York steak kind of gal, huh?”
Kevin directed a small frown at the steaks. “Actually, I don’t know. Why?”
“Depends on how much you want to impress her.”
“A lot.” He raised his gaze to meet hers. “Should I get something else?”
Not once in five years did she expect to give Kevin advice on how to impress another woman. My, how things changed. “If you’re really serious about her, go with a Filet Mignon.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
He grinned, and for a moment she glimpsed the guy he’d been when they’d first met. “Thanks, Robbi. I owe you.”
“No worries.” She gave her hand a wave. “I’m really happy for you.”
“Thanks. I’m happy for you too. Who knew you’d bag yourself a royal?”
She blinked at him, her own smile dropping away. “Excuse me, what?”
“Uh, yeah. Your winged off-worlder.”
“What about him?”
Vertical worry lines appeared between Kevin’s brows. “Don’t you know?”
A spark of irritation flared. “Know what, Kevin?”
His eyes went wide. “You don’t know. Oh, shit, Robbi….”
“Tell. Me.” She forced the words out between her clenched teeth.
“He’s…well, he’s one of the four kings of Bezchi, or something like that.”
A king? He couldn’t be. He would’ve told her, wouldn’t he? Kevin must be making it up. “How do you know this?”
“Raven. She works for Blast off!. She told me.”
“Your new girlfriend works for that gossip rag?” The tell-all media outlet for the who’s who of off-worlders? Oh, didn’t that just figure? “Are you sure she’s got a thing for you, or is she looking for a story?”
Kevin gaped at her, as if that had never occurred to him. A wave of guilt crashed over her. Who was she to destroy another’s happiness? Unless he was up to his usual games. No, this was too deep for him.
“I’m sorry, Kevin. I didn’t mean it, I’m just a little…shocked. I’m sure Raven’s a great person who really cares for you.”
“No.” Kevin shook his head. “No, you may be right. I thought I was lucky that some babe who’s decades younger even noticed me.”
Decades? “Kevin….”
“Leave it, Robyn.”
She snapped her mouth shut hard enough for her teeth to clack together. He was right, though. There was nothing she could say that’d help.
Kevin made a scoffing noise. “Aren’t we just a pair? Both discovering…dammit. I gotta go, maybe drown my sorrows in a bottle of Jack. See ya.”
He turned and trudged back up the aisle toward the front of the store and rounded the corner, shoulders slumped like he’d just lost his dog…except he’d never had a dog in his life. Poor guy was hurting bad enough, he’d left his shopping basket and food.
Well, she’d walk out too and do the same thing, but she was out of milk and sandwich meat at home.
May as well finish your shopping.
She cast a glance at Kevin’s abandoned basket. In good conscience, she couldn’t walk away and let the food spoil. It would be no big deal to put his items back as she finished her personal shopping. She transferred the steaks, then reached for the baked beans. Beans? Really, who gave their new girlfriend beans for dinner?
Wait a minute. She stopped. No one did something like that, unless they were an idiot…which Kevin was, but still.
If he’s the idiot, why are you picking up after him again?
That manipulative little twit. Was there even a Raven at Blast off! And if he lied about that, then was Kyzel really a king? She reached into her purse and fished around until her fingers bumped against her phone. Ah ha. She lifted out. Time to fact-check at least one of Kevin’s stories.
She finger-typed Kyzel and Bezchi and tapped the search icon. A series of articles and pictures popped up, many of them of Kyzel and a tall, willowy, winged woman.
“Careene.” She whispered the name.
Kevin hadn’t lied. Kyzel was a monarch, and Careene was stunning with her million-dollar smile and crystal blue eyes. Not a headfeather out of place.
I can’t even compete with that.
Her gaze was snagged by a headline, “Monarch Careene passes to the Great Aerie.” The accompanying photo was of Kyzel, alone, head bowed, black fabric draped over his magnificent wings. Her heart ached for him.
“Oh, Kyzel.”
But he lied to you by omission.
A little hot coal of anger started burning in her chest. Why the heck had he kept that vital bit of information from her? His royal status wasn’t a problem, but not telling her about it definitely was. If he had just been up front with her, she would’ve been more than willing to figure out how to make things work out between them.
Men were all manipulators, no matter what planet they came from. And she was the idiot who fell for it every single time.
I’m so done with this.
Done with being manipulated by Kevin. Done with being manipulated by King Kyzel and his little friend. Just done. She transferred the steaks back to Kevin’s abandoned cart for someone else to deal with. Someone not named Robyn Martin.
By the time she’d finished her shopping, checked out, and pushed her glitch-wheeled cart to her car, the first doubt had creeped in. What if Kyzel had a reason for not telling her? Had she just assumed the worst b
ecause her ex who had given her the news? She unlocked the trunk of her sedan. And how had Kevin found out anyway? Maybe Raven was real—
An arm snaked around her shoulders, and she was pulled back against a solid male chest. She sucked in a sharp breath just as a noxious cloth was slapped over her mouth and nose.
“This is for your own good, Robbi.”
Kevin. Why?
She let her body go limp to throw him off kilter with her deadweight, but blackness was closing in, dragging her into a void of nothingness.
Chapter 16
Where was Robyn? Kyzel paced the length of the suite’s common room. She had not answered her phone last night when he had called. And all his calls today had gone into her voicemail. It was possible she was busy at work and had turned off her phone, but the faint itch between his wings had never let him down before. Something was not as it should be.
“Would you please cease your incessant pacing?” Rol growled.
“I cannot.” He shifted and turned on the ball of his foot to move toward his friend.
Rol heaved a sigh and tossed the book he had been reading on the side table. “Why not?”
“My mate seems to be missing.”
Rol opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. “Perhaps she is avoiding you.”
“Does that sound like normal behavior from someone who invited me to go away with her for a few days this weekend?”
“No. It does not.” Rol glanced around the room. “Your friend—”
“Mate.”
“—is not the only one missing. Where is Elder Kai?”
“No idea.” Kyzel gave a one-handed dismissive wave. “He seemed determined to go out, so I sent Fyad with him.”
“He could ignite at any time. Should he not be with us when that happens?”
“As he is an elder, I am certain he can handle his personal situation without our assistance.” It would not be the first time a Firewing would do so.
Kyzel paused by the window and gazed out at the pale blue afternoon sky, and the lengthening shadows. It’d been several hours since he’d last called. Time to try again. He dug his hand into his pants pocket and closed his fingers around his phone.
“Are you truly considering calling her again?”
“She is my mate, Rol.” He locked his gaze with his friend’s. “Why do you ask?”
Did Rol know something?
Rol averted his gaze to the book on the table and shrugged. “What if she is not your mate?”
“She is my mate as surely as you are my friend. You are my friend, are you not?”
There was probably nothing in the universe that could refocus Rol’s attention on him faster. “Always. Even when we do not see eye to eye.”
The sudden feeling of unease faded with those words. “Thank you.”
He pulled his phone from his pocket, and his gaze snagged on the screen updates.
New voicemail from Nixy Vogel.
“Ms. Vogel called.” He pressed the button to retrieve messages and raised the phone to his ear.
“Hi, Mr. Raptorclaw, this is Nixy Vogel at Silverstar. Please call me back on my personal line as soon as you can.”
Hope flared in his chest. Maybe she knew what was going on with Robyn.
He pressed the speed dial for the agency.
“Nixy Vogel.” The agent’s greeting was threaded with…exasperation?
“Good afternoon, Ms. Vogel. This is Kyzel.”
“Kyzel, great. Thank you for getting back to me.”
Rol stepped up next to him. “Ask her about Elder Kai.”
Why in the fair currents would he do that? Kai was the least of his worries, and certainly not the reason for calling Ms. Vogel.
“Is that Rol?” Ms. Vogel asked. “Tell him I have excellent news—”
“Ms. Vogel.” Her name came out sharper than he had intended, and yet not sharp enough. “I am not a messenger service for either of you.” He cast a narrow-eyed glare at Rol, who took a step back. “I am calling to alert you that Robyn seems to be missing.”
“Missing?” She seemed genuinely taken aback. “No, that’s not possible. I received a text from her around twelve thirty this morning.”
“You did? What did she say?”
“Erm.” Ms. Vogel cleared her throat. “Well, please understand that in cases like this, the Silverstar Agency will honor—”
“The message, please, Ms. Vogel.” He forced the words out between his teeth.
“Yes, of course. Sorry. Ms. Donahue has informed me that she wishes to discontinue her relationship with you and has withdrawn her application from further consideration.”
No. Pain lanced through him, and he reached out for the window frame to steady the floor-surging-under-his-feet sensation. This could not be happening. Why would Robyn say such a thing? Why did she not tell him herself?
Rol grabbed him by his biceps. “Kyzel?”
“She…has rejected me.” His mate did not want him.
An undetermined emotion flickered in Rol’s eyes, and was gone. Surprise, perhaps?
He swallowed hard around the stone of grief in his chest. “Ms. Vogel, did she say why?”
“No. Silverstar does not require an explanation from its clients. No means no, Mr. Raptorclaw. I’m sorry.” She did sound very apologetic—not that it helped. “When you’re ready, shall I resubmit your profile for a new match?”
“No.” The word was like gravel in his throat. “She is the one.” The only one.
“I understand,” Ms. Vogel said. “I will remind you that your contract states you are not to attempt to reestablish contact, do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’ll put you in the inactive file for six Earth months in case you change your mind.”
He would not change his mind, nor would he give up so easily. A sense of determination surged up like a wave and washed away the pain.
“All right.” But there was nothing right about this situation. Not one single thing. “Thank you. Goodbye.”
He flicked his thumb over the disconnect button and strode toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Rol sounded mildly panicked.
“To find my mate.” It was time to get to the bottom of this situation. “Let Fyad know. I may need his help. Meet me at Robyn’s office.”
Kyzel paced in the darkness, the swish of his sandaled feet through the emerald green grass in Robyn’s front yard seemed to say, “Wesh, wesh, wesh.” Gone, gone, gone. But to where? She had not shown up to work today. The lights were off in her nest, and her car was not in her driveway.
“Ms. Donahue has obviously had a change of heart, just as Ms. Vogel stated,” Rol reasoned from behind him. “I, for one, believe it is a sign as to the fickle nature of Earthlings.”
Robyn was not fickle. He turned and strode back in Rol’s direction. A handful of feathers spun and floated around his ankles.
Rol sighed. “You are molting.”
Kyzel paused and lowered his gaze to the trail of feathers on the lawn. He raised his wings and snapped them open and closed. Three more feathers fluttered free. Stress molting. It happened sometimes, but never to him.
“Kyzel, listen to reason. You gave it your best wing, but this experiment did not work. It is time to go home, to find your true mate.”
“She is my true mate.” His shout echoed through the yard. The volume of incessant night song of the little Earth insects Robyn called crickets diminished. “I will not leave her. She might be in trouble.”
“How could she be in trouble? She texted Ms. Vogel.”
“I do not know, Rol. Something is not right about this.”
“Yes.” Rol stood taller, suddenly full of conviction as the headlights of a passing car flashed over him. “Yes, something is not right. Getting involved with Earthlings is not right. Not for you. Not for a monarch.”
“How am I any different to you? Or Fyad. Or Elde
r Kai for that matter?” Except for the lifespan differences between Firewings and the rest of the clans.
“Because you are our leader, and you set the example for all Raptorclaws.” Rol made a pleading gesture with his hands. “Please, Kyzel. I have stood by you this far. Now it is time to go home.”
Kyzel stepped close to Rol, nearly nose to nose. “I. Am. Not. Leaving.”
“Hey!”
Kyzel turned toward the unexpected voice.
Meryl slammed her car door and marched toward them. “What the hell is going on here? Why are you guys having it out in the dark in Robyn’s front yard?”
Relief coursed through him as Robyn’s friend approached. “Do you know where she is?”
The question seemed to startle her. “I thought she’d be with you.”
“I have not seen her since yesterday morning.” Looking beautiful as the morning sunlight had danced over her pale hair. When had he become so poetic? “And her supervisor said she was not at work today.”
The woman had stayed late to cover Robyn’s caseload.
True concern shone in Meryl’s eyes. “That doesn’t sound like her. Did Jayla say anything else?”
“She said Robyn was happier than she’d ever seen her yesterday morning, but quiet and withdrawn after lunch. She did not know why, though.” Somehow the change in her demeanor had to be linked to her disappearance.
“This is your fault.” Meryl moved like a predator toward Rol, eyes flashing, teeth bared. “You just couldn’t leave her alone, could you?”
Rol’s eyes widened and he took a step back, but there was no escaping the demoness Meryl had become.
“I warned you to stay out of their business, but noooo. And now, she’s disappeared.”
Kyzel frowned. “Explain, Rol.”
Rol sighed. “I intercepted Ms. Donahue yesterday when she was walking back to her office with her lunch.”
Meryl made an impatient rolling gesture with her hand. “Go on. Tell him what you told her.”
“I mentioned you were looking for a replacement mate.” His friend’s face darkened as he lowered his gaze to the ground.