“So, you’re mated to an Atlan, too?”
Her smile was a mile wide and gave me hope. “Yep. Dax is all mine. We had a rough start, but I love it here. So tell me, how’s Earth?”
It seemed an odd question, but I wasn’t actually on Earth anymore. “Um, well, the same, I guess.”
“Where are you from?”
“Wisconsin.”
Sarah nodded. “I was an Army brat. I moved so much, nowhere ever really felt like home. I miss Earth, but I don’t. I belong here, and soon you will, too.”
I scooted to the edge of the bed and looked down at my body. I was dressed in a gown similar to the one Sarah wore, but instead of green and gold, it was a deep burgundy that I knew would bring out the red highlights in my hair. It fit me perfectly, and I had to wonder where they’d gotten the darn thing. It wasn’t like I could buy clothes off the rack at home and I definitely hadn’t gone clothes shopping on Atlan while I slept. Unlike Sarah, my wrists were bare.
She must have read my mind. “Oh, isn’t that color perfect? It brings out your eyes.”
“Yes. I… thank you. But where did you get it?”
She rose to her feet and began to pace beside the bed. Back and forth, making me nervous once more. “Don’t worry. We borrowed it from Deek’s sister. She’s about your size, which is small for an Atlan, but it will have to do until we can get a seamstress here to fit you.”
Small for an Atlan? So, Warden Egara hadn’t been kidding.
I scooted to the edge and stood, trying to get a feel for having my legs beneath me. The dress was actually a bit too large, but very flattering. It hugged my large breasts, a band of gold crisscrossing in the front and boosting them from below. I’d seen something similar in television shows of ancient Romans or Greeks in togas. “They dress like ancient Greek gods?”
Sarah burst out laughing as I inspected my gown. “Just the women. Wait until you see these boys in their armor. Hubba-hubba, baby.” She waggled her eyebrows. “You won’t be able to keep your hands off your man.”
That sounded good to me, but it made me remember my purpose. “Speaking of my mate, Warden Egara said he’s scheduled to be executed.”
That stopped Sarah in her tracks and she turned to me. “Yes. You don’t have much time to save him. He’s to be executed in three days if he doesn’t take a mate and prove he can control his beast. Dax is beside himself as they’re good friends. They fought together in the Hive war for a long time. He’s probably pacing right now. We’ve been waiting forever for you to wake up.”
“How long was I out?”
“Half a day. The time is pretty similar here. Their days last twenty-six hours, but I was always a night owl, so the longer days don’t bother me.”
“Okay.” I didn’t really care about that right now, but I filed it away for later. I had three days—and a generous two extra hours for each one—to save my mate and control his beast. I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to do that, but I was willing to do anything. The Atlan warrior was mine and I wasn’t going to let anything happen to him. “Let’s go. Warden Egara said you would help me get in to see him.”
Sarah walked to the door and opened it. I followed behind her, exiting the luxurious bedroom for a long hallway that looked like a royal decorator had been given unlimited access to cash. I wasn’t familiar with the artifacts that lined the hallway, the vases and carved tables, the painted murals and fresh flowers everywhere, in every imaginable color. I didn’t know what they called this stuff, but I recognized money when I saw it.
I cleared my throat. “So, are you a princess or what? I feel like I’m in Cinderella’s castle.”
That made her laugh. “Yes. Dax is a celebrated warlord. When the Atlan men return from the war, they are treated like kings. We have another castle in the northern lands that I haven’t even seen yet, and more land, titles and money than I can even comprehend.”
If we’d been on Earth and spoke like that, I’d think she was gloating, but she didn’t seem the type.
Shock registered in my system after a moment. I knew a lot of veterans who came home from fighting broke and without a place to stay. “How can they afford to do that for all their vets? That’s amazing.”
Sarah looked over her shoulder at me, sadness in her eyes, and opened another door. “Not that many make it back. They are on the front lines with the Hive, on the ground. I know what it’s like. I’ve been there, fought for the Coalition myself. They fight like demons, but either they get taken down in battle, or they lose control of their beast. The ones who come home are the strongest warriors, and they are treated like gods.”
I grinned. “So, you’re mated to a god?”
Her smile was pure wicked. “Yes. And so are you.”
She held the door open and I preceded her into a long dining room with a table that would s
eat at least thirty. The chairs were high-backed black wood of some sort I’d never seen before. Seated at the head of the table was a giant.
He stood, and I stopped in my tracks. Holy shit, he was big. Well over seven feet tall with shoulders twice the width of mine. He was dressed in form-fitting black armor that hugged every damn muscle, from ripped abs to rock-hard thighs and I knew my jaw dropped, but I couldn’t seem to close it.
Sarah closed the door behind us and walked around to step into her mate’s waiting arms. She was probably five eight, and she looked almost childlike next to him.