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with their leader.”

“Kai,” Tira sighed, dropping all pretense of formality. “Don’t mistake

me for a fool. I’ve know you since we were younglings, and I can see the

curiosity growing in your mind.”

Kai grinned as he rounded the desk to take both of her hands in his

own. “Be assured my curiosity does not render me ill-equipped in

attending to a handful of refugees.”

The city was one wrong move away from full-scale panic, and

communications had already begun flooding into the citadel from the

other Isles. His father wouldn’t be deterred for long, nor would the other

elders, and even the most steadfast of the royal guard carried themselves

more rigidly than usual. Everyone had questions, wanted assurances,

and Kai needed to pacify his people soon. For that, he knew of no better

way than to extract the answers they sought directly from the source.

“Do you believe they’re dangerous?” he asked bluntly. He trusted

Tira’s counsel above all others, and he’d never known her to make

impulsive judgments. “Do they mean us harm?”

The female didn’t answer immediately, but released his hands and

stepped away to pace the tiled floor. “It’s too early to say for certain, but

my instincts tell me they’re not a threat.”

“Continue,” he encouraged when she paused again.

“It’s what they represent. How many more will come? How can we

hope to stay hidden now?”

“We can’t,” he answered simply. “Truthfully, I think the time for

seclusion has come to an end, Tira. Change beckons, and while it can be

frightening, we have ignored its call for too long.”

“We could kill them,” Tira suggested, but with no real conviction.

“We could.” He quirked his lips on one side in an indulgent grin.

“Perhaps we should try talking to them first. Have they been given

translators?”

“They’re being fitted as we speak. The female, Cami, seems to have

some understanding of our language.” Leading the way out of the

library, Tira rested the heel of her palm on her dagger and shrugged. “I

almost like her.”

Kai just shook his head as he kept pace with her through the corridors

to the east wing of the citadel. “High praise, I’m sure. Do try not to strain

yourself, Captain.”

Stopping on the upper landing of the staircase, Tira pointed to the

third door just ahead of them. Kai could see shadows moving behind the

opaque glass, but nothing more than a distorted silhouette of the female

beyond.

A loud crash against the first door, however, gave him pause, and he

changed directions, heading for the far room. “Which of them is in this

room?”

“Tariq,” the captain answered. “He’s demanding to see the dark-

haired female.”

Kai pursed his lips but said nothing, choosing instead to address the

sentry assigned to the room. “Open the door.”

“Yes, Vasili.”

The guard pressed his fingertips to the pressure pad behind him, but

took several steps back when the glass door slid open. Observing the

destruction inside the room—and one very angry male—Kai couldn’t

say he blamed him.

“Does he have a translator?”

Tira nodded as she wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her sword.

“Who the fuck are you?” the male demanded when Kai stepped into

the doorway. “Where’s Cami? I want to see my mate, and if you’ve hurt

her, I swear to the cosmos that I will destroy you.”

“Understandably,” Kai responded calmly. “I assure you that your

beloved has not been harmed.” The Xenons cherished the bond between

mates above all else, and among their many laws, it remained the most

sacred. “Captain, please have the sentries take…”

“Tariq. Just Tariq.”

“Very well.” Kai bowed his head slightly. “Please have the sentries

move Tariq to his mate’s room.” He returned his attention to the male.

“You understand why I can’t release you completely?”

“Yeah, I get it. Not big on strangers around here.”

The way the male spoke fascinated him, and he looked forward to

further discussions, but right then, he had to attend to more pressing

matters. Namely, making the acquaintance of a certain female down the

hall.

“We’re not a savage race, Tariq, merely cautious. I’ll have you taken

to your mate at once.”

Tira had already relayed his orders to the sentries by the time he’d

reentered the corridor. Still, Kai wished it were an order he’d not been

forced to give. Before he could broach the subject, the captain hastened

to explain.

“Forgive me. I was unaware of their bond.”

“An honest mistake, but one not to be repeated.”

“Vasili.” One of the sentries greeted him as he approached, fisting his

hands at his sides and bowing his head briefly. “The female is now being

fitted with a linguistics translator.”

Acknowledging the information with a slow nod, Kai motioned for

the guard to open the door. As the frosted glass slid back, a torrent of

sound rushed out of the room—shouts, screams, and confusing insults—

mostly coming from the human female.

“Get off me! I’m going to rip your insides out and string them up like

party lights, you fairy bastards!” The woman swung out with her right

hand, her fist connecting solidly with Lorcan’s jaw. “Don’t touch me!”

Two other sentries grabbed her by the upper arms, wrestling her into

a black, cushioned chair, while a third guard held her head between his

palms. Kai’s attendant appeared reluctant to approach her again, and he

rubbed the side of his face with one hand while he twirled the translator

between his fingers in the other.

Kai had seen enough, and as he watched the female struggle against

the guards, a burning rage began to swell in his chest. Jerking the cords

around his neck to untie them, he shrugged his cloak off, dropping it at

his feet as he stomped into the room.

“Enough!” he snarled. “Release her and leave us!”

The guards stared back as if they believed him to be mentally

unstable, but they didn’t dare disobey. As one, they released the female

and hurried out into the hallway, likely to receive further instructions

from their captain.

“Lorcan.” Kai held his hand out to the side, palm turned toward the

sky. “The translator.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now,” he added, when the attendant dropped the small slip of

metal into his hand, “instruct the kitchen to prepare meals and send them

up at once.”

With a quiet sigh of relief, Lorcan bobbed his head. “I’ll see to it right

away.”

Once they were alone, Kai turned to the female, watching as she

jumped to her feet and positioned herself behind the overstuffed chair.

The black clothing she wore clung to her creamy skin, accentuating every

luscious curve of her tight body. Her breasts heaved with each panted

breath, but she held her spine straight and her shoulders squared. Fear

coursed through her—he could see it in her wide, green eyes—but she

would fight if necessary. She was fierce, brave, and if possible, even more

beautiful in person.

Kai was mesmerized, completely enchanted by this lovely creature,

and for several passing heartbeats, he found it difficult to form thoughts,

let alone words.

“Who are you?” she demanded. “Why are you here?”

Knowing she couldn’t understand him, Kai pointed to his chest. “Kai

Blackthorn.” He pointed to her and tilted his head to the side, then

moved his fingers back to his own chest. “Kai.” Once more, he motioned

toward the female.

Thankfully, she understood and nodded. “Commander Ivy Dalton.”

“Ivy,” he repeated, rolling the name around on his tongue. It suited

her.

Still playing the strange game of charades, he held the linguistic

translator up for her to see, pointed to the one on his earlobe, then finally

tapped his fingertips against his lips. When she glared at him and shook

her head, he went through the motions again, adding another tap to his

earlobe at the end.

Her hostile stance eased marginally, and her mouth softened at the

corners. “That,” she said, pointed to the translator, “is a language

converter? It’ll allow me to understand you?”

Pleased, Kai smiled as he offered her the blinking strip of gold-plated

metal. At the same time, he carefully removed his own translator,

paused, and slid it back onto his earlobe, demonstrating to her how to

wear it.

After a long, tense hesitation, Ivy shuffled around the chair with her

arm outstretched, allowing Kai to drop the translator into her waiting

hand. She didn’t affix it immediately, but studied the device for several

long seconds.

“It looks like a staple,” she murmured. “Are you sure it works?”

Kai couldn’t help but laugh as he nodded his affirmation.

“Okay, here goes nothing.” Brushing a stray lock of golden hair back

from face, she slid the translator onto her lobe, just as he’d shown her.

“Well,” she said after a moment, “say something.”

“What would you have me say, my lady?”

“Oh.” Her full lips parted with a silent gasp, and her emerald eyes

sparkled like the waters of the ocean. “Say something else.”

“Welcome, Commander Ivy Dalton, to the high city of Sommervail.”

“Incredible,” she whispered.

A sharp pain rippled through his chest and down his abdomen,

stealing his breath with its intensity. His legs began to shake, his pulse

raced dangerously, and heat swept over his skin. All at once, he felt

dizzy, unsteady on his feet, and shadows blotted the edges of his vision.

“Kai—it’s Kai, right?” Ivy took a single step closer. “Uh, are you

okay?”

“Merely the excitement of the day.” He needed to get away from her

before he did something humiliating, like faint at her feet. “I apologize.”

Gripping the doorframe when the dizziness threatened to overwhelm

him, he squeezed until his knuckles turned white. “We’ll speak again in

the morning.”

“Wait, I have questions. You can’t just keep me here like this.”

“The captain will answer any inquiries you may have.” As if

summoned, Tira appeared at his side. “Tira, I’ll leave it to your

discretion.” He tried to smile, but by the females’ worried expressions,

he imagined he’d failed miserably. “Until our next meeting.” He lowered

his head slightly toward Ivy. “Rest well, my lady.”

Retreating, he staggered down the stairs, leaning heavily on the

railing, and stumbled through the corridors until he reached his

chambers. It troubled him to leave Ivy after such a short meeting, but

with his stomach churning and his head pounding, he could barely

undress before collapsing onto his bed.

The silky gray sheets felt cool against his overheated skin, and the

soft mattress cradled his aching body. Every muscle, tendon, and joint

pained him. Even his hair follicles hurt. Stars above, he didn’t know what

had come over him, but a part of him felt death would be preferable to

such suffering.

Illness didn’t plague the inhabitants of Xenthian. Not once in over

four thousand years had Kai experienced even something as minor as a

sniffle. In the back of his mind, the part still fighting against what he

already knew, he wondered if Ivy had somehow bewitched him. Burying

his face into the pillow with a groan, he dismissed the notion as quickly

as it came.

He was lying to himself, had been from the moment he’d walked into

Ivy’s room. Upon seeing her, he’d felt the pull, the unshakeable desire to

be near her. His entire being swayed toward the beauty, something

inside him shifting to make room for this magnificent being he’d never

even considered existed.

Kai wanted her. Not for a day, a night, or even a hundred years. He

wanted eternity with her. His heart had recognized what his mind had

not, and his body had taken it upon itself to respond in the ways of their

kind.

Soulmate.

Being in Ivy’s presence had been like standing in the eye of a great

storm, both beautiful and terrifying in the way she consumed him.

Soulmate.

How he hadn’t recognized it immediately, he couldn’t say. Perhaps

because he’d never before experienced such emotions. Maybe because

he’d never expected to find his destiny with a human. Whatever the

reason, he vowed to make up for his lackluster introduction when his

head stopped throbbing.

One brief encounter had changed him, irrevocably altered him. Now,

he just had to find a way to explain it to Ivy.

After sleep. Squeezing his eyes closed, he burrowed deeper into the

nest of soft blankets and groaned. Yes, definitely after sleep.

Kai didn’t come the next morning.

In fact, he didn’t return the next evening, or anytime during the

following day, either. Not that Ivy wanted to see him or anything. She

just wanted to know when she’d be getting out of her windowless room,

and he held all the cards.