Page 149 of The Hunter's Empire

Nico:I was trying not to alarm you.

Me:I'm more concerned that you're probably hiding in a bush somewhere eating military rations.

Nico:You forgot the mosquitoes.

Me:Try not to get shot.

Nico:I'll make no promises.

Even now, I can't stop the small smile that finds its way onto my face.

Our conversations are ridiculous. Half of them consist of sarcasm, pointless arguments. The other half... Well! They're not really about anything important either. Yet somehow they've become one of the few moments in my day that I genuinely look forward to.

I lock my phone before setting it beside my laptop.

Somewhere over the past three weeks, checking whether Nico had sent another sarcastic message became as routine as checking my emails. Sometimes it was a picture of terrible coffee. Other times it was a joke about me working too much.

I sigh and force my attention back to the paperwork. The empire isn't going to rebuild itself because I'm distracted by an extraction specialist with an unhealthy talent for irritating me.

He's away on a mission, and we still exchange the occasional message whenever he can. That should be enough. Instead, I catch myself wondering where he is before shaking the thought away. I have a coronation to prepare for and an empire to run.

A knock against the office door finally pulls me away from my thoughts.

"Come in."

The door opens, and Erin walks inside carrying several folders tucked beneath one arm along with a stack of design boards balanced against her hip.

"I need your opinion on something." She says as she sets everything down across my desk. "Actually... several things."

Without looking up properly, I reach for the nearest folder. "I trust you completely, Erin. You don't need my approval for every small decision."

She folds her arms. "Normally, I'd agree."

I hum distractedly, still pretending to read the report I'd already failed to concentrate on twice.

"But this isn't a charity gala or another corporate fundraiser."

When I don't respond, she gently slides the report out from beneath my hand.

I finally look up.

She raises one eyebrow. "This is your coronation party, Zora. It celebrates you officially becoming the head of the Krogen Empire." A small smile appears on her face. "I'd say that earns you the right to have opinions."

I sigh before leaning back in my chair. "Fair point."

She pulls one of the presentation boards closer before laying it flat across the desk. "Now... can I actually show you what I've spent the last two weeks working on?"

A reluctant smile tugs at my lips. "All right." I gesture toward the boards. "Show me what you've got."

For the next hour, Erin walks me through the final preparations for my coronation. We review the venue layout, seating arrangements, security plans, and the last of the design concepts before settling on the remaining details. By the time she closes the folder, there's very little left to finalize.

She gathers the papers into a neat stack and rises from her chair. "I'll have the updated schedule sent over tonight."

"Perfect."

After Erin leaves, I remain seated for a moment, my gaze lingering on the closed office door before drifting toward the phone beside my laptop.

Almost without thinking, I reach for it and open my conversation with Nico. My thumb hovers over the keyboard as I consider the wording longer than I probably should. I don't want it to sound like an obligation. I don't even want him to realize how much I'd like him to be there.