Page 62 of Queen Isabella

“Calm.” Artifex gripped Operar’s shoulder. He cast a nervous glance back at Isa, obviously worried about upsetting their queen again. “We’ll scour the archives,” Artifex assured his beta.

“We’ll all help,” Rego added in a subdued tone.

“I’ll start a list of our best competitors in a variety of contests,” Bellator spoke up.

There was a lot to do to prepare for tomorrow. The future of their hive depended on it. Except, all Phara could focus on was the way Isa still quaked in his arms. Or maybe he was the one shaking with all the adrenaline running through him. This ambush was unprecedented.

“You are safe now. The Nemus Hive is angry with us, not you.” He gave Isa a gentle squeeze. “They were never intent on harming you. They are not a violent people usually. Most of the time we are at peace with them. They are the hive of our queen mother.”

“Okay,” she said acceptingly as she nodded and gave him a wavering smile.

Though she conveyed reassurance, Isa still trembled. After everything they’d been through the last few days, and the way her hive violently cast her out, the Nemus ambush had to be doubly terrifying. Phara hated that their precious queen was being bombarded with one traumatizing thing after another. He had no clue what to do. So he did the only thing he could do, he snuggled her close as they descended into the safety of their hive.

“You should get some rest. We’re going to be busy all evening,” Phara said when they finally reached her chamber.

Isa refused to let him go when he attempted to deposit her in the bed. She cast him a forlorn look as she shook her head.

“I understand. I don’t want to let go of you, either.” He took her to the large table and sat with her on his lap.

“I will bring the pertinent archives here.” Operar rushed off.

The other alphas and betas joined him at the table, concern etched on their faces. Isa wasn’t the only one overwhelmed with fear. If they didn’t succeed tomorrow, they could lose their precious queen. Phara’s chest tightened, the knot in his stomach twisting painfully. In a very short time Isa had become his whole world. Her smiles, her delicate exotic beauty, her conversation, affection, and tender touch. All these things changed his life in a few insignificant rotations of the sun.

I can’t lose her.Phara’s brow furrowed and he clutched Isa tighter.We will not lose tomorrow!

Isabella

As Isa sat in Bellator’s lap, her gaze shifted from Phara, to Rego, Gregis, and Galis, to Operar, Invicta, and back around to Artifex on her left. This should have been a happy homecoming. Instead, everyone was somber as they sat at the table in her giant bedroom studying their archives. They weren’t reading books or computerized tablets, but unusual bundles of knotted cords. The best she could guess is that the different combinations of knots on the strings equated to words. Any other day and she’d be asking a million questions about the fascinating record keeping method, but not today. She couldn’t even focus on what her men were talking about. She almost lost her men to a missile and then a volcano, and now she could lose them to some sort of war game. Were they in any shape to even compete? They hadn’t recovered yet. It was all too much to handle.

Bellator huffed, his finger pausing on the cord he was reading. He stood and carried her to the round bed they allshare, then sat on the mattress with her on his lap. She got settled, wrapping her legs around his thick waist.

“Can I get you anything?” he asked, his voice soft and tentative in her mind.

Someone had brought dinner to the room, but she wasn’t the least bit hungry.

Isa shook her head no and simply stared into Bellator’s eyes as he gently cupped and caressed her cheeks with his trembling hands. The look of devastation on her big teddy bear’s face had her eyes burning.

“I’m sorry I failed you,” he rasped. The pain Bellator was feeling seemed to imbed itself in her mind, the way she was able to hear his voice telepathically.

She shook her head in denial. He didn’t fail her.

“I broke the rules when I entered Nemus territory.” Bellator’s brow furrowed.

“But I was hurt,” she countered.

“And I should’ve flown you to their hive, not ours.” His shoulders slumped.

It killed her seeing her big strong man so utterly devastated.

“I should’ve noticed the Nemus were stalking us.” He angrily shook his head.

“Be fair to yourself.” Isa lifted Bellator’s chin, forcing him to look her in the eyes. “We just returned from getting rid of a weapon that carried the Blight. I’m the one who should be sorry and I am sorry, more than you know,” her voice broke as she attempted to reason with him.

Her people were toxic wherever they went. Not only had her people poisoned the Vorto with their chemical weapons, but she probably just started a war between her guys and the neighboring hive. She was just as bad as the rest of her people. She said sorry, but the words sounded hollow. How did someone apologize for the magnitude of this disaster?

“No, my beautiful queen, you bear none of this burden.” Bellator ran his hand through her hair and down her back. “It is my duty to protect. I should have known the Nemus wouldn’t react well. I let myself get distracted.” His other hand trailed down her chest, circling her breast. “Even now, when I should be helping the others, I am distracted.”

Isa’s breath sped up along with her heartbeat. Was her big teddy bear apologizing or saying goodbye? The idea that she might actually have to go live with a strange hive after tomorrow’s competition hit her hard. She’d fallen in love with her big teddy bear, with her whole hive. She’d allowed them into her heart, when she’d always done such a good job holding everyone at bay. Being guarded had been so easy back home with the rampant misogyny. Her hive showed her love wasn’t some fairy tale. But then just as she started to believe, the rug was being yanked out from under her. There was no way she could go live with another hive. After everything she’d been through it would break her.

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