Page 77 of Ren: Warlord Brides
He moved forward.
The floor tile sank under his weight.
Ren froze, caught in a trap.
Emry
“A what?” Emry nearly laughed in the guard’s face. Only his stern expression made her realize the seriousness of the situation. “You’re serious. Why do you have a warrant?”
Thalia crossed her arms over her chest. “She doesn’t own a ship.”
“Emmarae LeBeaux, mated to Ivon Ren,” the guard said.
“Yes,” Emry confirmed at the same moment Thalia said not to answer that.
“Communal property rights of spouses are recognized by Sangrin law; thus I have a warrant for your ship,” the guard said.
“It’s a Mahdfel ship and not subject to Sangrin authority,” Thalia countered.
“Cargo Class Vessel XJ2324 is not registered as a Mahdfel vessel.”
“Dammit.” Thalia tossed her hands in the air. “That’s what I get for being too clever for my own good. Fine. Search the ship. If this is about the cat, it’s a domestic breed rescued from a shelter. We have papers and registration.”
The guard gave her a serious glare, which was somehow more intense than his default stern glare. “Smuggling wildlife is a serious offense.”
“Yeah, you don’t have to tell me. Poachers suck,” Thalia said, marching to the ship.
Pashaal and two other guards waited at the base of the ship’s ramp.
“There she is! The thief!” Pashaal pointed a finger at Emry, her voice pitched to carry in the bustling docking bay.
“I think I need to see that warrant,” Emry said.
A guard handed her a tablet. She scanned over the document, flicking the screen down. Pashaal was petty enough to sue for breach of contract but…
“Theft? I’ve got a lot of flaws, but I am not a thief.” Emry kept her voice calm, doing her level best not to throttle her former boss. Just like Ren predicted, Pashaal came back for the necklace.
“My obsidian pendant choker,” Pashaal said. “It’s priceless. My Kullar gave it to me, and you took it and I want it back.”
Priceless. Emry kept a straight face and didn’t roll her eyes. Mom would be super proud of her.
“Do not mock me,” Pashaal said.
Apparently, Emry’s straight face wasn’t that straight.
“Is this the item?” A guard emerged, carrying Mittens. The cat slumped in his arms, limbs dangling in a way that was all wrong.
“What did you do to my cat?” Emry demanded.
“A sedative was required to pacify the animal,” the guard answered.
“A sedative? Is that safe for a cat? If you killed my cat, I’ll… I’ll…” She blanked on potential threats. She liked the cat well enough, but Ren loved Murder Mittens, and she loved him. Nothing could happen to Mittens while he was away. She wouldn’t let it.
Thalia took Mittens from the guard and pressed her ear to the cat’s mouth. “Still breathing,” she said. She removed the necklace, tossed it to Pashaal, and carried Mittens back inside the ship.
Pashaal gasped when she found the pendant missing.
“What did you do? Where is it!?” Pashaal waved the choker in Emry’s face, screaming to the point she turned blue in the face.
