Page 26 of Secretly Mated To My Monster Alien Boss
Yakirian looked at her with his emotionless gaze. “Make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Kiara bristled. “This isn’t my fault.”
Yakirian only grimaced and turned on his heels, leaving Kiara with a whirlwind of doubt inside her. Was she–was she about to get fired after tonight?
“Don’t worry about him, he’s concerned,” Deryg said as he pulled Kiara into a shadowy corner.
“He’s an ass, that’s what he is,” she grumbled. Her frantic gaze met his. “What are we going to do?”
“First we need to know what we’re up against,” he said. Anger rolled off him. “If the false list ended up on our devices, there has to be a trace somewhere. My men are already spread out everywhere in the atrium, but I’ll get some of them to check the transfer logs. It won’t be fast, though, most of them aren’t accustomed to your human codes.”
“Wait,” Kiara said, thoughts running. “I can help with that. I’ll talk to Darcy, she’s a whizz when it comes to codesandshe knows the platform.”
“Perfect. I’ll ask some beings from my team to check the security footage again. I need to be in that atrium at all times.”
Kiara’s heart pounded as more guests trickled in. She watched them fawn and awe at the burgundy decorations lining the hallway, leading toward the atrium. A good sign or a bad omen?
“Listen to me.” Deryg’s soothing voice brought her back to reality. His large palms gently cupped her shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze. “We’re going to deal with this. No human can get past our security team, the protesters don’t stand a chance, I swear. Do you trust me?”
Foolishly, Kiara nodded–because Deryg had never given her a reason to distrust him, had he?
11
DERYG
“Check the footage again,” Deryg rumbled into his earpiece. “Ifanythingseems amiss, you contact me immediately. And tell Mykon to be on standby.”
Deryg’s steps thundered in the atrium as the guests twirled out of his way. They probably weren’t even aware they were moving away, instinctively sensing a powerful being in their vicinity. They laughed and drank and ate. Apparently, the vegetableto-ma-tospoons were a big hit with the Xirians; they reminded them of “feasting on their enemies’ blood”.
Delightful.
But beyond the general awe at Earth, Deryg picked up conversations about expanding more businesses on the blue planet.
“Of course, the portal can be used, depending on the treaties you can negotiate with the Deruzian elders,” Yakirian told an eclectic group of aliens gathered around him. They all stood talland proud, leaders in their own right. Deryg did not envy the elders who had to negotiate with them.
Nobody could envy his position now, either.
No matter what the Deruzian elders wanted to believe, something would happen at this gathering. The contraband, the invite list.
This wasn’t a coincidence–and he was past the point of pretending it was.
It was time to change the plan. Deryg was convinced his team and system could hold up to any humans who decided to infiltrate the party, but–
Deryg froze.
No. It couldn’t be.
But it was.
Out of the corner of his eye, Deryg saw the horns he’d sworn he’d never glimpse again, towering over the beings in the atrium. They were broad and tall, same as Deryg’s.Exactlylike Deryg’s, despite all the childish jokes about his being blunted on the sides.
Deryg stood there, not believing his senses. Because it did not make sense.
Why wouldhebe here?
The crowd parted enough to show him the irrevocable truth. Standing in the middle of the atrium, dressed in the silver ceremonial clothes of the Ka'Nar Clan, was his brother, Rexan. His dark eyes surveyed the event with the kind of judgment he usually reserved for Deryg. Or maybe his jaw had been permanently clenched like that since he’d taken on the role of Clan leader. Rexan had morphed on that day and he’d refused to change back since.
Deryg knew his brother had sensed him. Probably even saw him, but refused to acknowledge his presence.
