Page 22 of Chosen By the Dragon Alien

“An unannounced summons? I thought VIPs only got that treatment,” Viparia said with a feline smirk, crossing her arms beneath her lower pair of breasts. “Are we being accused of something scandalous?”

Siku tilted her head, her gaze narrowing as she studied Cyprian’s face. “You look troubled,” she stated, her tone cool but probing. “This isn’t about client behavior, is it?”

Cyprian got straight to the point. Time was of the essence. “Axis agents are coming for an inspection.”

Siku’s pupils shifted subtly, the slits narrowing in what could only be described as controlled alarm. “Inspection? That’s unlike them. We usually get advance notice when they come to nitpick their gilded operations.”

“Exactly,” Cyprian replied. “Which means this has nothing to do with routine assessments. They’re looking for something—or someone.”

Viparia’s smirk evaporated, replaced by a serious expression. “Fivra,” she said, her voice uncharacteristically low. Her arms dropped, and her hands settled on her generous hips. “They’re coming for the Terian. That poor little creature. What do they want with her?”

Cyprian inclined his head. His wings gave a slight twitch as his frustration spilled out. “It’s a very long, complicated story, which I don’t have time to tell right now. I need your help to keep her hidden. At least until the inspection is over and I can get her off the station.”

Siku exchanged a glance with Viparia. Her cool demeanor was unchanged, but her focus was razor-sharp. “Why would we take that risk?”

Cyprian’s silver gaze swept between the twocourtias, his jaw tightening. “She isn’t just some fragile newcomer. She’s part of something bigger, something the Axis doesn’t want us—or anyone else—learning about.” He waved a hand.Fekit. “Also, I love her. So there’s that.”

Viparia’s lips swung upward. “At last. The director has fallen. I knew it would happen one day.” Then, remembering something baffling, her brows snapped together. “But, Cyprian, she has nobreasts.”

“Yes, she does,” he replied testily. “But that isn’t the point here, is it? Will you hide her or not?”

Viparia’s lips pressed into a coy line. Her usual playfulness was nowhere to be found. “We’d be deceiving the Axis,” she said, tapping her lower lip. “It’s risky, but then again, I do enjoy a bit of excitement. And if it means denying thefekkingAxis something they want, I’m intrigued.”

Siku’s thin brows furrowed, and her cool gaze settled on Cyprian. “Hiding her in Viparia’s private suite would be the safest place, but the othercourtiaswill need to be brought in line—subtly—and quickly.”

Cyprian nodded. He’d expected this reaction from Siku. Her pragmatic approach was one of her greatest strengths. “Tell thecourtiasto inform the inspectors that Fivra didn’t work out. That she was sent away somewhere. Keep it vague. Can you ensure their cooperation without raising suspicion?”

Siku tilted her head thoughtfully. “The othercourtiastrust Vipa and me, and more importantly, they respect the sanctuary we have here. As long as they don’t have to spin any elaborate lies, they’ll say they don’t know where she is.”

“Good,” Cyprian said firmly. His gaze shifted to Viparia. “And you?”

Viparia’s mouth curled back into its mischievous smirk as she leaned casually against the edge of Cyprian’s desk. “Oh, you don’t even need to ask, darling,” she purred. Viparia’s expression shifted from playful to predatory. Her golden eyes gleamed with dark delight. “Let the Axis send their inspectors. I’ll hide her in my wardrobe, which can’t be scanned. I’ll give them such a show, they’ll be too flustered to find their own tails, let alone a hidden Terian.”

ELEVEN

Fivra

Fivra sat on the plush floor in the back of Viparia’s wardrobe. It was a large space, but it was crammed with so much stuff that it felt quite cramped. Gowns of every imaginable hue and texture draped over carved hangers. Their shimmering surfaces caught the soft glow of the lights embedded in the ceiling. Displays of jewels sparkled like miniature galaxies, some nestled in ornate cases, others laid out in cascading trays as if they’d been casually tossed there by a being with far too much wealth to care. Above her, shelves held crystalline cases containing wigs dyed in colors she couldn’t even name, styled in elaborate coils and waves.

The sheer indulgence of the space was overwhelming, suffocating. It was everything her home hadn’t been, and it made her feel small in a way not even the Axis could manage.

“You look like you’re about to bolt.” Viparia’s smooth voice broke the silence as thecourtialeaned casually against the doorframe. Her arms crossed between her two lower sets of breasts. Every movement the female made seemed deliberate,languid, as if even standing was an art form she’d long since mastered.

“I don’t think there’s anywhere to bolt to,” Fivra muttered, keeping her gaze fixed on the shimmering hem of a nearby gown. The golden threads curled and coiled like tiny rivers, mesmerizing in their complexity. “Not unless you’ve got a secret escape chute hidden under all this—” she gestured vaguely to the wealth around her, “—stuff.”

Viparia chuckled, a low, throaty sound that somehow was both comforting and intimidating. She stepped fully into the room. The lush carpet muted her heels as she crouched gracefully in front of Fivra. Up close, thecourtia’svibrant green skin seemed to glow softly, amplifying the glint in her golden eyes.

“My dear little farm girl,” Viparia began, the corners of her mouth lifting in a knowing smile, “you are not hiding in here to escape. If I know Cyprian—and I do—you are hiding because he is afraid of losing you. And I am inclined to agree with him.” Her hand darted out, surprisingly gentle as she took hold of Fivra’s chin and tilted her face upward. “So why do you look like you’re the one about to run away?”

Fivra gently retracted from Viparia’s grip. “Because none of this makes any sense,” she said, her voice sharp in contrast to the trembling in her chest. “I don’t belong here. Not in this wardrobe. Not in this station. And certainly not with Cyprian.”

Viparia didn’t say anything immediately. Instead, she rose to her full, towering height and reached casually into a display of hair ornaments. Her fingers played over jewels and combs until she plucked out a delicate clip shaped like a starburst. Idly, she turned it in her hand, letting the light refract off its many facets. “Cyprian thinks otherwise,” Viparia finally said, her tone teasing yet laced with a seriousness that made Fivra glance up, despiteherself. “And between you and me, darling, Cyprian is not a male prone to whims.”

“I think I’m a whim,” Fivra countered, hating how small her voice sounded even as she tried to keep her jaw firm. “Or at least…whatever he feels, it’s not real. It can’t be.”

Viparia raised a perfectly sculpted brow. “Oh? And why is that?”

Fivra sighed. “Because males like him don’t fall for females like me,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m nothing special. I’m just an ordinary farmer who got caught in something I don’t understand. He’s—he’s powerful, confident, and everything I’m not.”

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