Worrying about someone accepting my choices was never an issue for me in the past. I lived my life according to my own terms, even though my father disliked me for not being like him. The one thing I never wanted was to be like him.
When the time came for me to assume leadership in Alara, I pledged to seek the input of the people, rather than dictating their choices.
A sigh of frustration escaped me. I had not planned on returning home for many cycles. The idea of permanent life on the planet did not interest me right now. I considered myself a warrior, not a ruler.
Despite wanting to make my father understand, my thousand-year-old ruling family and my duties toward our people prevented me from doing so.
Now that I’d claimed my K’sha, I wasn’t sure what the right thing to do was any longer. What if she did not find me to be a worthy mate and did not wish to be my Queen?
Meeting Grace made me want to prioritize fulfilling her dreams before anything else. She’d expressed a desire to work as a medic on the ship, which I fully supported.
But I wondered how she would feel about her responsibilities as Queen of Alara?
The situation in Alaran space was unstable at the moment and we were on the brink of something terrible.
If the Krilex were collaborating with an unidentified adversary, we could face a full-scale fight to defend our system.
Until we found more allies to assist us in our fight, safety within the system remained uncertain.
Both the Protectorate Forces and the area we had to cover were enormous. But there still weren’t enough warriors to keep our space safe.
My head was filled with worries and questions. Alara had never experienced an assault on the royal family on the planet itself.
What had changed within our society to cause such hatred toward us? How did my father get poisoned if he never left the palace?
I had always imagined that any danger to the continuation of the royal family would be because ofmydeath and occur when I was off-planet.
Would I now be in danger upon my return to Alara?
If so, my relationship with Grace also put her in danger if our enemy learned she was my K’sha.
My fists clenched at my sides. I needed to find the person who poisoned my father and root out anyone else who was a danger.
Grace needed to be protected.
Standing, I released a growl of anger.Flutz!
I should take her somewhere safe, away from the chaos and danger. Far away fromme. However, I was unable to gather the strength to carry out the task. Without her in my life, I couldn’t envision a future.
MY COMM BUZZED, ANDas I activated the vid screen, I was caught off guard by what I saw. Xilta appeared, looking distressed.
“Your majesty. I am sorry to inform you that your father has lost his life to the poison. He has died.”
24
Grace
AFTER SHOWERING, Iran my fingers through my wet hair, feeling the strands slide through my fingertips without a comb or brush.
While getting dressed, my mind wandered to Trex just as it had since the moment I left him on the bridge.
A profound feeling of emptiness stirred within me, resulting in a tangible ache. Since I arrived on the ship, I had spent nearly every waking moment by his side. I’d grown to love his company and everything about him. Our relationship had escalated quickly, but I had no qualms with it.
What had me concerned was how easily he dismissed me when he heard from the King. I wondered if he was ashamed of me or maybe not allowed to date humans.
Okay, we were beyond dating...we were now a mated couple according to Trex. But it felt as if our bond had become clouded. And it frightened me.
At first, I questioned why his warrior took me to my old quarters that I shared with Olivia and Riley. When I’d been staying with Trex until now.
