Page 27 of Secretly Mated To My Monster Alien Boss
No, Deryg always had to come to Rexan, on his terms. He was the older brother, the heir, and Deryg always had to default to him.
His first thought was to ignore Rexan now, out of spite. But Rexan had come intohisterritory, unannounced–there must have been a good reason. Probably an infuriating one, as was usually the case with Rexan.
Better Deryg find out now than be taken by surprise later. He did not need any more distractions tonight.
“I’m curious which wrong path through the galaxies you must have taken to land here,” Deryg said as he approached Rexan. “Brother.”
Rexan finally deigned to look his way. The hint of a smile on his face did nothing to assure Deryg. “Brother, it’s good to meet you again. Felicitations, I don’t see any new scrapes and bruises. Though there might be some hidden underneath those curious garments you are wearing.”
“A human suit that I wear for my duty. Proudly,” Deryg said. “You know this, Rexan, you didn’t care for it during our last discussion, either.”
“My tastes have not changed.” Rexan’s top lip curled. “It’s not even silver.”
“The point is stealth, not everybody knowing I have arrived.” Deryg lifted his chin. They’d exchanged enough words to be considered respectful, though they were anything but. “Why are you here?”
Rexan turned fully to him, standing there in all his might. Perhaps Deryg had been too quick to judge. Rexan did look different–and not in a good way. His horns were slightly matted and there was a tiredness that clung to his eyes.
“You were the one to mention wrong paths,” Rexan said. “I’m here to stop you from going further down the one you have chosen.”
The words cut deep into Deryg’s chest. He’d learned that his brother would never be satisfied unless Deryg did exactly what Rexan wanted. He’d made as much peace with that as he could. But hearing Rexan’s disappointment, said so plainly, brought up old wounds Deryg had thought long since healed.
“I’m not coming back,” he said.
Rexan’s jaw clenched to the point of breaking. “You have to. Deruzians cannot break promises they have made.”
So that’s why his brother had come to the planet he’d cursed to the Nines when Deryg had announced he was leaving.
“I didn’t break any promise, because I was not the one who made it,” Deryg said. “You did.”
“That is a technicality. The elders will not accept it.”
“I’ve been here for years.” Deryg stretched his arms wide. “No elder has come to bring me to justice. I even exchange messages with Oona.”
Zaryn’s aunt wanted to visit, but she was still afraid of Earth’s cold climate, no matter how many times Deryg had told her not to worry.
Instead of glowering and starting another lecture, Rexan smirked. “Having one elder on your side does not mean the others agree. They worry about you.”
“Then you can tell them what I told you. We’ve had this conversation countless times,” Deryg went on. He had more important things to do than convince his stubborn brother of the truth. “I need to–”
“You don’t have to convinceme, brother,” Rexan said. “It’s not me who you abandoned.”
He stepped to the side to reveal the one being Deryg did not want to face.
His first day on Earth, Deryg had arrived in his Deruzian desert garments to ice falling from the sky. The wind caughtit, turning it into small shards and hurling it at him.Hail, the humans called it.
Deryg had never been colder or more confused in his existence than in that moment. For a breath, his entire body had seized, completely caught off guard, until it had regained its senses.
Deryg froze in the exact same way now as he looked into Leyra’s eyes. Silver, of course. Perfect for the Ka'Nar clan.
His one and only shameful act stood in front of him, watching him intently.
Leyra stepped forward, looking as timid as the first and only time Deryg had seen her face to face, her robes billowing behind her. Her shoulders were slightly hunched, her chin wasn’t held as high as it should have been, and she kept her fingers entwined in front of her.
But she kept looking expectantly at Deryg, as if she would not back down.
Deryg released a tense breath. Of all the tricks the Nines could have played on him, this was the last one he would have thought of.
To make matters worse, Rexan was right. If Leyra had traveled all the way to Earth, it meant she wanted something.
