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“I will contact Sire Zha Quin Tha to confirm the addition to the approved entry list,” Yaghn said.

“No, it should be Zahn. He’s the head of security for our Sire’s household,” Var don answered.

“You’re right. I’ll let him know of the Chairman’s request.” Yaghn smoothed his hand over the implant he’d recently received, and tapped it twice indicating the individual he wanted. Each implant had the ability to reach Zha Quin directlywith one tap, Zahn with two, or an open connection to any who happened to be on duty with three.

Zahn, running like a crazy male back and forth across the grounds of the palace within its protective walls, stopped to answer the ping waiting for his reply. “Zahn!” he half barked, out of breath and slowing his run to a walk.

“Var don here. Chairman Bartholomew has requested that we move Mirilla to the approved visitors list so that she’s not turned away should she come to visit him while he’s here.”

“To the royal residence, you mean?” Zahn asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“It’s fine. She’s already got access to the rest of the palace and is recommended by the Sovereigna to assist the Sirena in any way needed. She is obviously trusted.”

“Agreed. We wanted to confirm with you before doing so.”

“It’s fine. I’ll advise Sire Zha Quin.”

“Thank you, sir,” Var’don said, then tapped his ear again to end the communication.

Zahn, shirtless, glistening in the moonlight from the sweat trying to cool his body as he pushed it to its limits, rolled his head on his shoulders to stretch his muscles, extended each arm across his chest toward the opposite shoulder, and twisted at the waist. “Even Bart can find a place in his life for a female. How?” he demanded of the night around himself. “How do they do it?” Shaking his head in frustration and stomping angrily about he realized he felt like he was being watched. Taking a moment to become attuned to the environment around him, he picked up on a slight movement in one of the smaller windows. He took a few steps back and did a quick count of the windows from the front of the building, to the window he was sure he saw movement in and realized it was the nursery, and that was where Au'revele was supposed to be spending the night.

“And she watches,” he whispered as he stared directly at the window, unconsciously holding himself a little taller, spreading his shoulders a little wider.

Waiting for any sign from her that she was still watching, he moved closer to the window, looking for any little movementto give her away, but there was none. Then his mind started with the questions. “Did she see me? Does she like what she sees?” Of course no answer came to him, which took him to the last two questions which were enough to shame him into leaving the area, and quickly. “Why do I care?” he growled. “This is madness! What has she done to me?” he asked, realizing he was prowling outside the window he expected her to appear in. Chiding himself for his weakness, he broke into a run again, determined to exhaust himself so that at least his body would collapse in exhaustion rather than lie awake all night, thinking of his hands on her soft, silvery skin. Her fathomless green eyes staring trustingly up at him as he loomed over her.

“Enough!” he shouted, forcing himself into a full out run to leave her, and whatever thoughts of her he didn’t seem to ever be able to banish, behind. At least until tomorrow, then the battle would start all over again.

~~~

Au'revele stood at the small window in the private bedroom of the nursery where she’d decided to sleep that night. She’d heard a familiar male’s voice and peeked out to see who if it was the male she thought it was. It was.

Sighing in appreciation of the view she was gifted with, she watched as the male stood a short distance away with his hand pressed to a place just beneath his ear as he accepted a communication from someone obviously on his security team. She watched with even more interest as he finished his conversation, then began to stretch and work the muscles in his body. And Goddess, what a body this male had. The deep violet hues of his skin glistened in the moonlight from the sheen of sweat on his body, the striations of every muscle reinforcing the essence of strength with every movement he made, the waist band of the short pants he wore slung low on his hips, and the rhythmic swing of a certain appendage concealed within thoseshorts forcing the threat of her drooling — literally — as she lifted a delicate hand to discreetly dab at the corner of her mouth at the thought of exactly what would be gifted to any female brave enough to find out.

“What is wrong with me?” she murmured aloud.

Then, without warning, he seemed to become aware of her presence. He stepped further away from the palace wall and seemed to focus nearer the front of the palace before his eyes gradually worked their way down the exterior wall toward her. Sucking in her breath, she threw herself against the wall to her right, pressing her body as flat as she could, barely even breathing despite the fact that he was outside and couldn’t possibly see through the wall to where she stood. She closed her eyes and silently repeated a quick mantra… don’t see me, don’t see me, don’t see me…”

After only a few moments of what seemed like hours, the male shouted, then turned and sprinted away.

She exhaled the breath she’d been holding and allowed her body to sag against the wall behind her. She let her head fall back as she blinked up at the ceiling. “Why him? Why of all the males I’ve been exposed to. Of all the males I could choose, is this one, the only one that hates me endlessly and without reason, the only one I can’t stop thinking of? Goddess help me force Zahn from my thoughts. He doesn’t want me,” she whispered.

~~~

Just after midnight Vivian sat hunched over on the toilet, one hand wrapped around her middle, the other pressed to her mouth as her small body trembled as it weathered yet another near-crippling bout of cramps and equally crippling wave of nausea. “Oh, God, please make it stop,” she whimpered as the nausea reached another crescendo causing her to slide off the toilet and heave into it instead.

She was so lost in trying to ride out what she was sure was a reaction to some food left out too long, and not wake Quin that she didn’t hear the door ease open. Another heave of her stomach attempting to rid itself of the offending food yet again, and she felt strong arms come around her.

“Shhh. I have you,” Quin said, curling his body around hers and holding her steady until the heaving stopped. Once she seemed to have gotten a little relief, he sat back on his haunches, taking her with him. “Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked, careful to keep his voice calm and non-accusatory.

“So you can scold me for snacking on food in the middle of the night that was probably left out for too long?” she asked shakily, trying to pull in an uneasy breath.

“No, so I could take care of you while you suffer through it.”

She let her head fall back against his chest and he started rocking her gently.

“No, oh, no, no no. Don’t rock,” she begged.

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