Chapter Three
Serenya
My heart hammered against my ribs, the rush of blood loud in my ears. The commander’s question had caught me off guard, but the information clicked into place with my father’s unusual behavior and other oddities I’d noticed since arriving at the gala.
This wasn’t just a party to celebrate Earth’s alliance with the Morrak. The alien warriors wanted brides, and the council was putting us on display.
My stomach churned with betrayal, bile burning the back of my throat as my father’s hand tightened on mine. He didn’t care what I thought of the revelation, I was still expected to behave as I’d been taught.
“I’m sure it would be an honor.”
Slit pupils narrowed, the commander’s silver eyes seeming to see right through me to the trembling core I tried to hide. With charcoal-grey skin and crimson crescents along his temples and jawline, he had an almost demonic appearance, and it whipped the fear in my chest into a frenzy.
I was desperate to take a seat before my legs gave out, and to escape the commander’s intense regard, so I pulled myself together and turned to my father.
“If I could be excused, I need to freshen up.”
I couldn’t meet Commander Draevahn’s gaze again. I flashed a hasty smile in his direction as I pulled from my father’s hold, turning and walking away before I could be denied.
The bathroom seemed miles away, but I managed to hold myself together until the door was safely closed behind me, a gasp ripping from my throat as I bent over the first sink I came to, my hands braced on the cool porcelain.
“They’re a lot.”
A scream escaped before I could stop it, my heel skidding on the tiles as my ankle bent sideways when I tried to whirl around to face the voice.
I managed to catch myself before toppling over, panting as my heart rate spiked again, but my ankle was already starting to throb as I straightened and put pressure on it.
“Sorry, love, didn’t mean to startle you. I spotted you chatting with the Morraki commander and I know how you feel. Absolute beefcake, that one.”
My brain felt like one of those ancient movie reels when it slipped off track, stuttering, with more blank frames than clear images.
“Oh?”
The woman who’d emerged from the stall was in an emerald dress that barely covered the important bits, but I was the one who blushed and looked away as she made her way to the sink beside me.
Between the shock of seeing one of the Morrak up-close for the first time, learning what my father hadn’t bothered to disclose about the gala, and then the surprise of someone catching me at a bad moment, I was somewhere between dazed and confused, and not sure I could find my way back to the usual poised confidence I needed to face my father again.
“Are you aiming for the commander then? Smart move wearing red since it matches him. It’s just not my color. Makes me look like a sunburned goose.”
She let out a huff before continuing.
“My granddad says the commander’s got a stick so far up his ass he could stir his tea with it, and that’s something coming from him, but his general is even worse.
Which is fine, cause that dude is built like a brick wall.
I’d take him too. Honestly, I’d take any of them.
I mean, with the size of them, no way they’re not packing something formidable. And a tail too? Yes, please!”
I met her eyes in the mirror as she leaned in to pat a strand of blonde hair back into place. She spoke so fast her accent made her harder to understand, but her meaning was clear enough, making my cheeks flame hotter.
“I’m…”
My brain was still spinning in circles, so the truth was all I had.
“I’m just trying to go unnoticed.”
I regretted it the moment the words left my lips. If they got back to my father there would be hell to pay, there always was, but every bit of energy had been sapped from me to keep from losing it in public.
Pretty green eyes softened as the woman turned to face me.
They trailed down my body, drawing my attention back to the dress that was far too tight to hide my excess figure.
I’d thought wearing something unflattering would allow me to avoid attention, but the way the commander had stared at me made me feel as if nothing would change his focus.
“You look too stunning to be ignored, but if you fancy a bit of help, I’m an excellent wingwoman. I’m here to bag myself a husband, and I’ve no problem stealing the spotlight.”
Her smile was broad, her eyes dancing, and I couldn’t help smiling back. The offer was tempting, but her energy level was well above mine, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep up with her, especially with the way my ankle was feeling.
“I appreciate it, but I think I’m going to try to sneak out early.”
If I could get away with it.
I was tempted to leave straight from the bathroom and call my own ride, but I’d never hear the end of it if I did.
Living with my father meant I had nowhere to escape him, and even though he’d hidden the real purpose of the gala from me, the thought of leaving without telling him left a weight on my shoulders.
“I could be a good getaway driver too, if you like. Give them a taste and then disappear. Leave them curious. Bit of mystery never hurts, right?”
She pursed her lips and tapped a manicured finger against them, staring over my head as if giving the idea real consideration. Worried she might decide to hustle me out and follow through, I turned on the water to buy myself time to think.
“I’m here with my father, and he’d worry if I disappeared. Plus, our driver is waiting in the lot, and I wouldn’t want to keep you from your husband hunting. I only saw three of the Morraki.”
The woman nodded, looking serious.
“Quite right. And I’m not waiting for another one of these galas with the two highest-ranking hunks in this one.
Landing the commander would be ideal, obviously, but the general?
He’s delicious, in a completely terrifying way.
I don’t know who the other one is, though.
Granddad said he wasn’t at the previous summits. Might be a dark horse.”
Swallowing a sigh of relief, I nodded back.
If her grandfather knew who had been at the meetings, that meant he had been there too, making him part of the United Earth Council.
The woman’s features didn’t remind me of any of them, but her accent made me think they were likely part of the European Union, increasing the worry that my father may find out about the encounter.
“Well, best of luck with your escape! I’m Isolde, by the way. In case you change your mind and fancy a partner in crime.”
“I’m Serenya. It was nice to meet you.”
She disappeared with a wink that had me shaking my head, almost curious to see what kind of trouble she got up to, but I had enough of my own to deal with.
Knowing my father wasn’t above sending someone in after me if I lingered too much longer, I pulled in a deep breath and looked at my ankle. It still throbbed, and I wasn’t surprised to see a blotch of redness above my black heel. It was definitely going to swell.
“At least I have a valid excuse to leave,” I murmured, bracing myself to return to the crowd.
By the time I made it back to my father I didn’t even have to fake my limp. He wasn’t fast enough to hide his scowl of annoyance, but he covered it when Isolde came bouncing up to my side.
“Sorry again about giving you a fright. Promise I wasn’t trying to bump off the competition or anything.”
She let out a laugh, flashing a smile at my father. His lips parted to say something, but before he got the chance, Councilor Edwin Harrington came up behind her.
“I trust my granddaughter isn’t being a nuisance, General Hale?”
Councilor Harrington raised a brow as Isolde scoffed, but his lips twitched. Jealousy punched me in the gut as she elbowed his side, his grin breaking free.
In front of his peer, my father adopted an indulgent expression, but his grip on my elbow was harder than necessary.
“No, of course not. Apparently she startled Serenya in the lady’s room and she came to check on her. I’m sure Serenya’s okay though.”
Even his tone was modulated to something believable, but I saw the flash in his eyes.
My heart sank over the lecture I was going to hear on the ride home, but between the reason he’d made me miss my graduation, and my throbbing ankle, I wasn’t up to playing the obedient daughter anymore tonight.
Still, if I asked to leave outright, he’d refuse. Having an audience gave me a better chance.
“I’m not sure. I twisted my ankle, and it’s pretty sore.”
I held my foot out, angling it to make the slight swelling seem worse. My dusky skin didn’t show redness as well as Isolde’s pale flesh would, but it was still visible enough for Isolde to hiss and her grandfather made murmurs of commiseration.
“Oh dear, you ought to be off your feet. A bit of ice and rest should do the trick, but heels certainly aren’t the right idea.”
I had no idea if Councilor Harrington wanted Isolde to catch the eye of one of the Morraki warriors looking for a bride, but he didn’t seem to be gloating over one less option for them to choose from.
My father’s frown showed some of his true feelings, but others would only think it was concern for me.
“I suppose we will have to excuse ourselves and make it an early night. There’s always the next one.”
“Quite right.”
My father’s eye twitched when Councilor Harrington clapped him on the arm, but he managed to pull his expression into something civil before turning to walk me toward the door.
His fingers were digging into the flesh of my arm, making my elbow ache right along with my ankle, but I kept my lips pressed together as we entered the elevator.
The silence of the ride to the bottom floor was deafening, my anxiety growing, but it couldn’t outweigh my relief at escaping the gala.
Until I remembered my father’s last words.
“There’s always the next one.”
I shot a glance at him from the corner of my eye, my heart stuttering at his expression.
He was furious, and any hope I had of this being a one-time event crumbled to ash.
He clearly wanted me married to one of the Morrak, and my feelings in the matter carried no weight.
He wouldn’t be so upset if he didn’t have a motive, and the fact that he hadn’t bothered to tell me what tonight had been about only made me sure of his intentions.
Even if I wasn’t chosen this time, he would keep throwing me at them until I was.
I was so distracted by the knowledge that I barely heard his ranting as we rode home, my hands folded carefully in my lap, eyes locked on my clasped fingers.
I didn’t even flinch when he slammed the door of the SUV to stomp around and take my elbow once more, my wince harder to hide.
Each step up to the porch had me choking back a whimper, not wanting to provoke him more, and relief flooded me when he abandoned me in the foyer.
Until I stared at the staircase up to my room. I was tempted to sleep on the couch in the den so I didn’t have to keep walking, but being able to close a door between me and the man I’d spent my whole life yearning to impress was too much to resist.
It took hours to fall asleep, using every trick I knew to ignore the pull of depression licking at my edges.
When my father burst into my room what felt like mere minutes later, morning light throwing him in a halo as he waved a card that looked suspiciously similar to the invitation I’d received to the gala, I barely registered the smile on his face.
“You did it! I don’t know how, but you managed to impress the commander. Your appointment is in a couple hours, so you need to get ready.”
He disappeared again before my befuddled mind could catch up, and all I could do was stare at the back of my door, wondering what could have made my father smile like that, and what it meant for me.