Page 31 of Bite the Power
His laugh was rich and inviting, vibrating through his chest where she was pressed against him. "I have to admit, I'm feeling pretty energized myself. More than I have in a long time."
Tessa couldn't help but smile at that confession. The knowledge that she had such a profound effect on him—on a king, no less—sent a little thrill of feminine power through her. "Good to know I haven't lost my touch after quite a drought."
Kaidan's eyebrow arched, and there was definitely mischief dancing in his eyes now. "Sweetheart, if that was you being a little rusty, I might not survive you at full capacity."
Heat bloomed in her cheeks, but she managed to maintain her composure. "I guess we'll have to test that theory out sometime."
"Oh, don't worry we will," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her temple that made her toes curl.
The tender moment was interrupted when Kaidan's expression grew more serious, the weight of his responsibilities settling back over him like an invisible mantle. "I have a council meeting first thing this morning to discuss what happened last night with the fire."
Tessa shifted in his arms, immediately alert. "I should come with you. Give my testimony about what I saw?—"
"No." His response was immediate and firm, his arms tightening around her protectively. "You should stay here in the guest suite and take it easy. I'll handle everything."
She could sense the underlying tension in his voice and the careful way he was choosing his words. He wasn't just being overprotective—he was shielding her from something. Probablythe inevitable criticism she'd face from council members who already viewed humans with suspicion.
"You're protecting me from them, aren't you?" she asked quietly.
Kaidan's jaw tensed, confirming her suspicions even as he deflected. "You nearly died last night, Tessa. You need more rest."
She could have argued, could have insisted that she was perfectly capable of facing whatever hostility the council might throw at her. But something in his expression—a vulnerability beneath the commanding exterior—made her hold her tongue. He was trying to balance his duty as king with his newfound role as her mate, and she didn't want to make that any harder for him.
"Okay fine," she said, settling back against his chest. "I'll take a nice long bath and just relax today."
Relief flickered across his rugged features. "Thank you."
What she didn't mention was Elora's plan to retrieve her field gear backpack from the research station. The backpack where she'd stuffed Eli's research files—evidence that could prove Magnus's involvement in five years of systematic sabotage. She didn't want to get Kaidan's hopes up in case the bag had been destroyed in the fire, or if the crucial data had been damaged.
For now, she'd let him handle the politics while she focused on the evidence. After all, every good scientist knew that data spoke louder than testimony.
Thirty minutes later, after Kaidan had reluctantly torn himself away from her bed with promises to return as soon as the council meeting ended, Tessa luxuriated in the marble bathtub that could easily accommodate three people. The hot water soothed her aching sprained ankle and the lingering pleasant soreness from their passionate night together.
After spending far too long in the bath relaxing and fantasizing about Kaidan, Tessa finally decided to get out and get dressed for the day. She put on the soft black leggings and cream cashmere sweater Elora had lent her, marveling at how the luxurious fabrics felt against her skin. Everything in this palace screamed wealth and power, from the hand-carved furniture to the crystal chandeliers, yet somehow it didn't feel ostentatious. It felt like home in a way that surprised her.
A sharp knock at her door jolted her from her musings, and her pulse quickened with anticipation. Had Kaidan finished his meeting already? She practically floated to the entrance, expecting to find her intimidatingly gorgeous man ready to sweep her back to bed.
Instead, Elora's blue eyes met hers, accompanied by Eli's relieved smile. Both carried trays laden with what smelled like freshly baked bread and coffee, but it was the charred field gear backpack slung over Elora's shoulder that made Tessa's heart skip.
"Please tell me that's what I think it is," she breathed, stepping aside to let them enter.
"Your backpack survived," Eli said, though his expression remained cautious. "But I'm afraid some of the contents might not have fared as well."
Tessa gestured toward the plush sitting area, her scientific mind already spinning with possibilities. "Let's see what we're working with."
They settled onto the ivory plush furniture, the late morning light beaming through the tall windows casting everything in a white glow. Elora placed the singed backpack on the coffee table between them, and Tessa's stomach clenched at the sight of the melted zippers and blackened nylon.
"I have to warn you," Elora said quietly, "what we found in there is going to complicate things significantly. Especially with the council meeting happening right now."
Tessa carefully opened the damaged backpack, her fingers working around the warped zipper. The smell of smoke and melted plastic filled her nostrils as she peered inside. Her heart sank when she saw the state of the files—some completely intact, others reduced to charred fragments that crumbled at her touch.
"Damn it," she muttered, carefully extracting a partially burned spreadsheet. "This was five years of substantial proof."
Eli leaned forward, his brown eyes intense with concern. "Well, explain your theory to Elora while you figure out if we have enough to work with."
Tessa spread the salvageable documents across the coffee table, creating a patchwork of evidence that told only part of the story. "Someone's been playing a very long game. Equipment failures that could be explained away as normal wear and tear, weather station data that was just slightly off enough to make Eli's observations look unreliable, and supply deliveries that consistently arrived damaged or late."
"So, pretty much Magnus's name is written all over this," Elora said flatly, though her jaw tensed with barely controlled anger.
