“Some do.” Galen brushed the hair from her eyes. “Don’t cry. It’s nothing to do with you. There was an uprising in New Sydney, at a barracks. The city’s governor is reducing the size of the garrison. We need those men elsewhere in the Empire. These rebels believe it means we are giving up on the colony. We aren’t, of course. It’s just that soldiers aren’t needed here.”
“What is needed?”
Galen drew her into his embrace. “Love, it seems. I love you, Zara. When the alarm was raised, the huntsmen were dispatched as quickly as possible—please believe me—and I raced here. I thought I might arrive too late. Karrow is a traitor. But he’s also lost his mind and behaves like an animal. He has already threatened the governor and his wife. You know she’s human?”
Zara nodded. “Freya. The wife of Marco. They are the First Couple.” They had been given an honorary title, one given to recognize their status as the first human and Vendu to successfully breed a hybrid.
He kissed her forehead and she lifted her lips higher. “And us? Who we will be?” she asked.
She felt his body mold around her, cocooning her. “Us?” he said. “We will be the second couple.”
She wanted to cry with relief. “I love you,” she sobbed. “I thought you would think I’m foolish for saying it. When we are together, when you are in me, I’m filled with so much joy. I want that feeling to last forever.”
“And it will.” He pressed his mouth against hers. The kiss was long. As he brushed away her tears, he burrowed his face under her chin and peppered her throat and shoulders with many more. She was nearly oblivious to the huntsmen carrying the moaning Karrow out of the house on a stretcher.
One of the huntsmen coughed loudly. “Lord. We’ve checked all the rooms. Your house is secure. Extra patrols will be mounted in the area, but we believe all the renegades have now been accounted for. Governor Marco sends his apologies for not warning you of their intent to assassinate the judiciary. He had not anticipated they would travel so far inland.”
Zara gasped. “You! You were the target? I thought he wanted me because I’m human.”
“Your presence here is a secret, Zara. Kill a high judge and the emperor will have to send more troops, not fewer.”
“He believes I’m your slave.”
Galen dismissed the leader of the huntsman with a salute. With a guiding arm, he steered Zara back indoors. “My slave? Nonsense.”
“So I’m free to go now?”
He halted. “Yes. The ordeal is over. I cannot allow the sentence to continue after what has happened under my protection. So, yes, you’re free.” He cupped her face in his hands. “Do you want to be free?”
“Of you, never. I shall obey you as you wish. I am, and always will be, your lover. But,” she said carefully. “I am also human. And as a human I shall never be a slave to anyone.”
He smiled. “A good answer. I like it.”
He was about to kiss her lips again when Bisma came hurrying toward her with pale cheeks. “My lord! Zara!” She clasped her hands together. “Praise be, you’re safe.”
Bisma knelt at Galen’s feet. “Forgive me, lord. I was with Sentaria and—”
Galen drew Bisma up. “It’s not your fault. Sentaria is fortunate that you are so devoted to him. Bisma, it is time for you to move on in your life. When Sentaria returns to Halos, you will go with him.”
The nurse’s cheeks blushed. “Lord, I cannot leave your side.”
“I have Zara now. You can enjoy your retirement, as you deserve. You have served my family many years and I release you.”
The nurse quickly wiped away a tear and looked away. “Thank you. I shall go and tell,” she was already halfway across the hallway before she finished the sentence, “Sentaria.”
“Now,” Galen sighed as Bisma disappeared out of sight. “Finally, we’re alone and I need to ensure you aren’t injured.”
“I’m not.” There might be bruises on her arm, but she was unharmed. If anything was dictating what she needed, it was hidden out of sight. Galen might feel the same way given the warmth in his voice and the bright sparkle in his eyes.
“That is for me to decide.” He continued to steer her toward his bedchamber. “It will require a lengthy inspection. Detailed and thorough.”
With each step, her body warmed and her nipples stiffened under his shirt.
Inside the bedroom, he closed the door and leaned against it. She stood in the middle of the room, her fingers twitching at her sides and her bosom rising and falling as she breathed rapidly. This was exciting, but not like outside when she was afraid and fighting to save herself. This time, she was with Galen.
“Take off your clothes, little human,” he said softly.
Her belly fizzed and she squished her thighs together. “I want to show you something, sir.”