He had taken her and Mar-ee to the building where she had first arrived on Ilyria, the tower in the neutral zone.
“And as Talia’s personal guardian and caretaker, of course I am included in the meeting,” Mar-ee said.
Lukan shot her a look of annoyance. “No, you’re just here because I didn’t have time to drop you off back at pack property.”
“I am Talia’s RBF,” Mar-ee said with pride. “That stands for Robot Best Friend. She informed me of this, and Talia does not lie, so therefore it is true.”
Talia snickered quietly, which made Lukan smile. If Talia was happy, he was happy.
It was around midday, and Talia was pleasantly exhausted. She had showered, eaten an enormous breakfast while Lukan met with Treffon, and then put on a dress that Mar-ee had sewn for her overnight - an ankle-length red silky gown with a scoop neck, which was apparently the latest in Ilyrian fashion. Cora Lee had given her a pair of low-heeled red shoes that were made of some fabric that somehow molded perfectly to her feet. Then they had climbed into Lukan’s skimmer vessel and flown to this building in the middle of the capital city of Donnelle.
Lukan was wearing black trousers and a black jacket with a silver seam down the front, with the symbol of his clan sewn onto the jacket above his heart. He looked strong and elegant, and a shudder of desire and anticipation ran down Talia’ spine every time she looked at him. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was, and how easily she could have lost the opportunity to find true love if it hadn’t been for the mix-up at the party and Mar-ee’s unswerving loyalty.
Lukan guided her to a meeting room, where a dozen people had already gathered, some sitting in cushioned chairs arranged in groupings around the room, some milling about.
One of them, Talia saw with dismay, was Alexandra. Alexandra was sitting at a small, round table, next to a man with bright blue skin, eyes of pure black with no white whatsoever, and antennae. He wore a silvery uniform with an insignia portraying the Milky Way galaxy cluster. Alexandra looked at Talia, walking hand in hand with Lukan, and her face went white with fury.
Lukan squeezed Talia’s hand reassuringly, and she looked away from Alexandra’s livid face and smiled at him. She didn’t need to be reassured. She had nothing to fear from the glossy professional matchmaker – her lies had been exposed, and Talia’s days of biting her tongue around the bitch as she doled out snide remarks and crappy busywork were over. But she rubbed the pad of her thumb over the back of Lukan’s hand in silent thanks. She looked back just in time to see Alexandra turn away with a flounce, flipping her beautifully coiffed white-blonde hair.
There were a group of Vulfan men from Lukan’s clan; Talia could tell from their suits and the insignia they wore.
“That is my brother Fangor, and my brother Salvi.” Lukan pointed at two huge men who looked like him. “And that man with Alexandra—” he spat her name out as if it tasted bad “—is Patrivar, a representative from the Galactic Federation. They oversee all interplanetary matters. Their main concern is the protection of commerce; they don’t tend to get involved on a local level.”
He marched up to Alexandra and slammed his hand down on the table so hard that it cracked, causing Alexandra to jump and let out a squeak of dismay. She cringed away from him, huddling close to Patrivar. Lukan’s brothers glanced at each other uneasily.
“You lied to me,” Lukan snarled at Alexandra, his eyes blazing with rage. Even in humanoid form, his fury made him look feral, untamed, as he defended his mate. His biceps flexed beneath the dark fabric of his tunic, and he looked every inch of his seven feet in height.
“I did not,” Alexandra said angrily.
“Pardon me, you have not begun this meeting in the proper fashion,” Patrivar interrupted in a scolding, officious tone.
Lukan snorted in contempt. “I am Reginar Lukan Anders of the Wor-Lan Pack, this meeting is now called to order, and Earther Alexandra Van Der Willig is the lying bitch sitting across from me. You told me that Talia Fisher had three children by three different fathers, and that she had cheated on each male parent.” Lukan’s glare burned into her. “Was that the truth?”
“You can’t talk to me like that,” Alexandra wailed. “I’m under the protection of the Galactic Federation!”
“Request permission to female-dog-slap her,” Mar-ee said to Talia.
“You mean bitch-slap her? Probably best if you don’t,” Talia said. She looked at Alexandra with contempt. The things she’d said about Talia, the unnecessary suffering she’d caused Lukan and Talia for the past year… “Although I might, any minute now.”
“What the hell is wrong with that machine?” Alexandra demanded, looking nervously at Mar-ee.
“Nothing,” Lukan said. “I programmed it, I mean her, to make Talia happy. Now answer the question. Were you telling me the truth when you claimed that Talia had three children?”
“You must answer him,” Patrivar informed her. “You are his business partner, and therefore are expected to be truthful in all your dealings with him. This meeting will determine whether the partnership should be dissolved or renegotiated.”
Alexandra glared at the ground. “Not exactly,” she muttered, unable to meet Lukan’s eyes.
“Not exactly,” Lukan mimicked her. “She has no children at all. You will admit that you lied. Now. Say it.”
“All right! I lied! I did it for your own good, and you should thank me for it,” Alexandra said, her face bright red with humiliation. “I knew that fat whore would get her claws into you—”
In one smooth, fluid motion, Lukan shifted, exploding out of his clothes. It took approximately two Earth seconds. He lunged across the desk, his jaws snapping at Alexandra’s throat. She screamed and fell over backwards out of her chair, and landed on the floor with a thud. Patrivar leaped to his feet in alarm.
Lukan shook himself and melted back into humanoid form. His fur sank into his flesh and his snout retreated, molding itself into humanoid facial features. He was naked now, standing in the tatters of the clothing he’d been wearing.
Even as the crowd buzzed and stepped back from the furious Vulfan, Talia couldn’t help but notice the strong, sleek lines of Lukan’s body; the way his muscles moved underneath his skin as though oiled. Her gaze slid down his broad chest towards his strong thighs, and she blushed and looked away before she was caught ogling him in public.
Patrivar held out his hand and yanked Alexandra to her feet.
