Chapter 21
Merrilee
The Historia wasn't like Palaydium.
Clean. Orderly. The kind of place where everything worked the way it was supposed to—lights that didn't flicker, air that didn't taste like rust and desperation, corridors wide enough that you didn't feel like the walls were closing in.
I should have felt relieved.
Instead, I felt exposed.
Ahrick's hand found mine as we walked through the corridor, his fingers threading through mine with the kind of casual intimacy that still made my breath catch. The bond hummed between us—a constant presence now, warm and steady in my chest.
"You're nervous," Ahrick said quietly, his thumb stroking across my knuckles.
I glanced up at him. "Is it that obvious?"
"Only to me." His amber eyes held mine with that steady certainty that had become so familiar. "You have nothing to be nervous about."
"Easy for you to say. I'm about to have a formal meeting with Duke Ako. You realize the last time I was called into a meeting like this, I ended up on a prison planet?"
His amusement was warm, genuine. "You faced down Declan Hewes. You rode into battle leading the Welati. You survived Fange City." He squeezed my hand. "Duke Ako should be nervous about meeting you again."
I couldn't help but smile at that.
The diplomatic aide who'd been assigned to escort us—a tall Aljani female with impeccable posture and a datapad that seemed permanently attached to her hand—stopped in front of a set of double doors.
"The Duke is ready for you," she said. "The holo-conference room is equipped with full sensory projection. You'll be able to see and hear Duke Ako as if he were in the room with you."
"Thank you," I said.
She nodded and opened the doors.
The room beyond was smaller than I'd expected. Intimate, almost. A circular table dominated the center, surrounded by comfortable chairs. The walls were lined with what looked like screens, currently dark.
And standing at the far end of the table, projected with such clarity that he looked solid and real, was Duke Ako.
He smiled when he saw us. Genuine warmth in the expression, which surprised me.
"Ahrick. Merrilee. Thank you for coming."
Ahrick inclined his head in a gesture of respect. "Duke Ako. It's good to see you again."
"And you." Ako's gaze shifted to me and there was a hint of apology in his deep blue eyes. "Merrilee. I'm glad to see you well. The reports from Palaydium were... concerning."
"I'm fine," I said. Then, because that felt inadequate: "Thanks to Ahrick. And the Welati. And a lot of luck."
"Luck had less to do with it, I suspect." Ako gestured to the chairs. "Please, sit. We have much to discuss."
We settled into the chairs across from his projection. Ahrick's hand found mine again under the table, his presence a steady anchor.
Ako remained standing, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Before we begin, I must convey the Prime's apologies for not meeting with you today. She wanted very much to be here." His expression grew somber. "She was called away urgently to planet Vaktaire. Her mate has fallen ill."
I felt Ahrick's hand tighten around mine—an instinctive response. The thought of one of us being seriously ill, the other having to face that fear...
"I hope he recovers," I said quietly.
"As do we all," Ako said. "But she wanted me to express her gratitude to you both. For your courage, your resilience, and for ending Hewes's machinations once and for all. What you accomplished—what you endured—has saved countless lives."
He paused, and something shifted in his expression. Respect, maybe.
"She also wanted you to know that she understands the bond you share now. And that she wishes you both every happiness."
"Please express our gratitude for her wishes," Ahrick said and I heard the surprise in his voice.
"First, the official business. Declan Hewes has been confirmed dead by Asad Intelligence. His body was recovered from the warehouse district in Fange City, along with the bodies of six Trogvyk mercenaries. The cause of death was... dramatic."
"Persico didn't do things halfway," Ahrick said quietly.
"No, he didn't." Ako's expression shifted—something that might have been approval.
"Persico's report has been filed and classified.
His cover remains intact. As far as the official report on Declan Hewes, his death came at the hands of a Vaktaire warrior defending his mate. No names were assigned in the report."
I felt the weight of those words settle over me. No names. The Alliance was protecting us—shielding us from whatever political fallout might come from killing a man with Hewes's connections, however corrupt they'd been.
"You're covering for us," I said slowly.
Ako's gaze met mine, steady and unflinching.
"We're ensuring that the truth doesn't become a weapon against you.
Hewes had allies—people who benefited from his operations, who looked the other way or actively participated.
Some of them are powerful. Some of them would very much like to see you both held accountable for his death, not because they care about justice, but because they want to protect their own interests. "
I understood then. The Alliance wasn't just protecting us—they were protecting themselves from the political quagmire that would come from exposing how deep Hewes's corruption had run, how many people had been complicit, how long it had gone unnoticed.
It was pragmatic. Maybe even cynical.
But it also meant we were free.
"And the warning he gave us?" I asked. "About greater threats?"
"We'll get to that." Ako's gaze settled on me. "But first, Merrilee, I need to ask. What do you want to do now?"
I blinked. "I'm sorry?"
"You were taken from Earth against your will.
Forced into slavery, then coerced into working for Hewes under threat to your family.
" His voice was grave. Sincere. "We can't undo what happened.
The Prime's promise stands. If you want to return to Earth, we'll arrange it.
Full transport, resettlement assistance, whatever you need to rebuild your life there. "
The offer hung in the air.
Return to Earth.
Go home.
See the ranch again, the wide Texas sky, the land my family had worked for generations.
I felt Ahrick's hand tighten on mine. Felt the sudden spike of emotion through the bond—not fear, exactly, but something close to it. The knowledge that I might choose a life that didn't include him.
But beneath that fear was something else. Something that made my chest ache.
Acceptance.
He would let me go. If I asked, if I wanted it, Ahrick would put me on that transport himself. Would watch me leave even though it would destroy him. Even though the bond between us would stretch across light-years, an open wound that would never heal.
This male, this warrior who had killed for me, bled for me, who had stood between me and death more times than I could count—he would let me walk away. Would endure a lifetime of agony if it meant I could have the life I wanted.
That was what love looked like.
I looked at Duke Ako and didn't hesitate.
"No. Thank you, but no. I don't want to go back to Earth."
"You're certain?"
"Completely." I glanced at Ahrick, then back to Ako. "My life is here now. With my mate. I'm not going anywhere."
Ako's expression softened. "I had hoped you'd say that. But I needed to offer."
"I understand. And I appreciate it." I took a breath. "But there is something I'd like to ask."
"Name it."
"My brother and sister. Ana and Sebastian. I know they're safe but I haven't spoken to them since before Hewes grabbed them. I'd like to... I need to talk to them. To know they're really okay."
"Of course." Ako made a note on a datapad that materialized in his hand. "I'll arrange a holo-call within the next few days. They're currently on Earth running your grandfather's ranch and from what I understand, they're doing well."
The relief that washed through me was so intense it made my eyes sting.
"Thank you."
"It's the least we can do." Ako set the datapad aside. "Now. Persico's warning."
The warmth in the room evaporated.
Ahrick leaned forward slightly. "He said Hewes wasn't the Prime's greatest enemy. That there are forces moving in the shadows."
"He did." Ako's expression had gone cold. Professional. "We've been investigating. Following every lead, every connection Hewes had."
"And?" I asked.
"What we found was disturbing." Ako's jaw tightened. "Hewes wasn't working alone. He'd embedded himself into several royal families across multiple systems. Minor houses, mostly. Fourth and fifth sons. Princes with ambition but no path to real power."
"How?" Ahrick asked.
"By offering them what they wanted most. Human slaves." The words tasted like poison in the air between us. "Hewes understood that humans are... exotic to certain segments of nobility. Rare. Forbidden by Alliance law, which only makes them more desirable to those with twisted appetites."
My stomach turned. "He was trafficking humans to royalty."
"Yes. And in exchange, these royals gave him protection. Resources. Information. Hewes became powerful not through his own strength, but by making himself indispensable to those who could shield him from Alliance justice." Ako's eyes were hard.
I remembered that from the briefing before I'd gone to Palaydium. A prince had intercepted Hewes prison transport in exchange for... something.
"We investigated the Romvesian prince who aided Hewes escape thoroughly," Ako continued as though he'd read my mind.
"Prince Zabron. Fourth in line for the throne, which means he has status but no real power.
And he's exactly what he appears to be—a spoiled, deviant brat with more money than sense. "
"Deviant how?" Ahrick's voice had gone flat.
"He has... tastes. For human females, specifically. Violent tastes." Ako's disgust was evident. "Hewes promised him access to human slaves in exchange for the escape route. Credits changed hands as well, but the real payment was the promise of victims."
Ice ran down my spine.
"Is he still—"