Chapter 3
THREE
The male she had been matched to was a masterpiece.
He was tall, wrapped in thick muscle and held himself with the confident power of a born leader.
Dark eyebrows slashed low over glittering blue eyes ringed with darker skin, like smudged eyeliner.
It wasn’t makeup, however, but part of the Virilian’s unique physical traits, like their tails and sharp eyeteeth.
He was bare-chested, except for a pair of thick gold bands that crossed over each shoulder, making a gleaming X in the center of his chest. Her gaze had followed down to fine leather pants that fit him to perfection and hugged a sizable package.
Intricate tattoos wound over his arms, chest, and back, but few scars puckered the skin under them.
He had a clean, spicy scent that made her want to lean in and breathe deep.
Instead, she watched him walk away. His body was tense, constrained, even as a fine pair of buttocks was displayed in those very lovely pants. A blue tail, tipped with its sharp barb, twitched with annoyance. “Not very friendly, is he?” she murmured to Ferias.
“He used to be,” she said sadly. “Trust me, it is not you. He found you very attractive.”
“How do you know that?” The instant it left her mouth, Madison wondered why she had asked the question. The Sage had the ability to see things hidden to the ordinary working eye.
But the older female, whom Madison had already grown fond of during their long trip back to Virilia, smiled.
“I can see certain things, as you know. One of the easiest things for me to detect is a concentration of energy. Attraction burns a red color to my eyes. It cannot be hidden, even by words that sound indifferent and a hasty retreat. His energy was quite red.” Her eyebrows lifted. “So was yours.”
“Well, he’s gorgeous,” she replied. “Obviously, I found him attractive. He looks like a comic book superhero and smells like a dream.” She smoothed a hand over her dress. “It’s a shame all the work that robot did to make me look pretty was a waste. He didn’t notice any of it.”
“He noticed,” said Ferias. “He took the loss of Queen Tuli very hard.”
Right. Ferias had given her a primer on King Drex during the journey. “I was under the impression his mate died long ago.”
“She did.” Ferias shook her head. “He has not permitted time to soften his pain.”
Madison crossed her arms. “And you expect me to fix this? That guy is as broken as they get and I’m not exactly an expert on healthy relationships.” She had explained to Ferias what her ex-boyfriend had been like, and how it shaped her decision to sign up for a Virilian match.
“If anyone can break through his wall, it’s you.” The Sage raised a hand and gently patted Madison’s cheek. “It’s important for the king of Exir City to produce an offspring. The people here need to see their species growing, healing, and thriving. And that starts with their king.”
Madison threw back her head and laughed. “So, I’m responsible for the morale of the people in Exir City.” She grinned at Ferias. “No pressure.”
Ferias chuckled in reply. “I think you will do quite nicely.”
“Not if he plans to ship me back to Earth.” She couldn’t help the shudder.
Not one speck of her wanted to return. In fact, dread curled through her at the thought.
Her parents had forsaken her and even if that paper was legitimate, they would not forgive her for leaving Michael.
They viewed him as the catch of a lifetime and their ticket to a cushy retirement.
Even her friends couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t be okay with having her life micromanaged by the gorgeous and rich Michael DeLoray.
Ferias patted her arm. “Come. Let me show you around a little bit, then to your chambers to get you settled in.”
“Drex expressly told me not to settle in,” she said with her tongue in her cheek. “He will be mad.”
“I hope you make him plenty mad,” replied the Sage. “He needs to be shaken out of his rut.”
Madison wasn’t sure she could shake anything out of Drex Letu, but she would be enjoying Virilia while she was here.
She moved slowly through the corridors with Ferias, who was flanked by her guards.
The older female didn’t seem to do anything quickly, and Madison liked the change of pace from rushing everywhere on Earth.
Exir City did not look old. As she moved through it with Ferias, she noticed the simple, carved walls, the sections of ceiling holding sheets of thick, translucent glass that transmitted light.
There were no adornments—no art, no music, and little color.
Most of the residents were male, and they regarded her with curious and interested eyes as she passed.
Madison did her best to keep her gaze on the path before her and not linger on the muscular, overwhelmingly beautiful males who stopped to stare.
“There are so few women,” she murmured to Ferias. There were females, but few enough to show how critical the Virilian situation was. They were older. They wore their hair in braids and chose bright clothing and most of them had tears in their eyes when they looked at her.
“Yes.” Ferias’ hand rested in the crook of Madison’s arm. The blind female seemed to have no trouble navigating even the more challenging and twisting corridors. “And fewer children. Your arrival has been anticipated for some time. You’re spreading hope, just by walking around the city.”
She swallowed at the gravity of that. Madison already knew about the virus that had swept the civilization, targeting the female population and causing mass death—it was the basis for the program on Earth to pair women with Virilian males. “Are they worried this virus will come back?”
“The virus has been wiped out,” said Ferias. “But even if it weren’t, humans are immune to it. A female child produced by you and Drex would also be immune, thanks to your genetics.”
She had to chuckle. “Well, I’m not sure we’ll be testing that theory. Drex barely glanced at me, and when he did, he looked like he was smelling rotten eggs.”
Ferias just smiled, like she knew something Madison didn’t.
It was probably the case, but honestly, seeing all this in person made it clear that way too much was riding on Madison’s ability to seduce a seemingly non-seducible male.
Hell, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to get busy with a cranky male who was still hung up on his dead partner.
As they circled back to the palace, Ferias told Madison about the Virilian civilization, from its rise to power to its collapse after a meteor hit poisoned their planet’s climate, to its eventual rise again as an underground society.
They finally arrived back at the palace, which only differed from the rest of the city by the highly polished, shining walls.
Ferias’ guards guided them to a large chamber that had been prepared for her.
It was a lavish suite of rooms, decorated in the subtle, neutral hues that seemed to be the vibe in Exir City.
The overhead dome in the central chamber filled the round space with soft, warm light.
A purple, flat-leafed plant sat beside a plush chaise.
Cushy chairs sat around a low table inlaid with shimmering stones.
Lamps were set about to illuminate the room at night. It looked like a high-end spa.
Off that room were several arched entryways.
Madison wandered through each, taking in the spaces that would be hers until he shuttled her off.
There was a cozy bedchamber. A large, opulent bathroom with a tub the size of a small pool.
There were several closets, stuffed with clothes and shoes and a mind-boggling amount of jewels.
Madison had seen enough beautiful things to not be awed by any of it.
She had worn the most expensive clothes in the world, carried twenty-thousand-dollar purses, rode in limos, and still felt small, useless, and miserable.
She’d been trotted out to events on the arm of a man who—while she lived with him—controlled her every movement.
Finery meant nothing to her. If anything, it was a prison made of silk and gold and sparkles.
“I will leave you to get some rest.” Ferias nodded to the attendant to her right. “Cosar, here, will get you when it’s time for the evening meal.”
“Thank you.” She squeezed the Sage’s hand. “You have been very kind to me.”
Ferias tilted her head. “No, I haven’t. But I hope you will forgive me for it one day.”
With that strange statement, the Sage left, closing the door behind her.
Madison exhaled a long breath. The first thing she was doing was getting rid of this silly dress.
Then, maybe a bath. Then, maybe… Ah, it didn’t matter.
For the first time, she was truly free. Her days of looking over her shoulder were done.
No one would be following her. No one would be watching and monitoring and intimidating.
Whatever came next couldn’t be worse than the constant, ominous presence of Michael DeLoray.