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She leaned in and licked my face. “Ah…too bad. All I need is a hard prick.”

She nudged my manhood, which was soft and flaccid beneath my fly.

“Good luck with that.”

“Or just your seed will do. There are other ways to get it. Involving torture. You know this,” she said.

“The fates will never favor you,” I told her.

“You think so?” she asked, pretending to be upset by pouting. “Either way, if it bothers you, if you’re so possessive, I’ll be content with having just one of you.”

Ghid’s mouth dropped open and his eyebrows creased together as if the statement surprised him.

“It is the truth. I only need one of you. Who shall I choose?”

She walked over to Ghid and made a show of leaning down to kiss him passionately and deeply.

“It feels so right,” she said, picking up a wine glass and offering it to Ghid.

“Then you must choose what feels right. The rest will fall into place,” Ghid replied.

“Of course,” Sanjit said, watching as Ghid took a sip of the wine. “But…I’m so tired of failures.”

Ghid spat out the wine he’d just gobbled down and coughed. He clutched at his neck, as if he were choking.

I sprang upright in my chair, jerking at the bounds, as my brother began vomiting blood. It even leaked from his nose and eyes.

“Bitch!” he moaned. “What have you done?”

“You’ve failed me too many times, Ghid. And you lied about the viability of your seed. You are such a good lover, but no matter how many times you fucked me, your seed proved to be useless. When were you going to tell me that you cannot bear children?”

Ghid sputtered and dropped to the ground.

She bent down where he lay and asked, “Was your plan to use your brother as a seed donor and then get rid of him? ’Twas a good plan. Except you’re not a very good leader, my dear Ghid. You’ve failed me. In the end, I only need the seed of a warrior. Go on and tell your brother that was your plan. Wasn’t it why you agreed to invite him here to sup with us. Of course, he won’t believe you. He thinks highly of you…until now, I guess.”

I rocked back and forth, nearly toppling over in the chair. I was mortified.

“It burns…” Ghid moaned, clawing at his throat.

I shook my head. “Ghid, Father taught us better than this. What have you done? It is over. She’s overthrown us.”

“I…” He reached for me. “My brother…” He went still on the floor.

He was gone.

My veins boiled with malice. Blood seeped from the chaffed skin on my wrists as I jerked at the chains.

Sanjit rose, dusted off her shoulders, and said, “The weakest link is dead. Take the throne with me and we’ll be the richest colony in the galaxy. Our King of Kings will speak only greatness of your accomplishments. Refuse, and your human pet will be hunted down and killed.”

She paused on a beat for my response and then continued without waiting for me to reply. “You know, I lost faith in men after living with pig-headed monsters. My father, my brother, and then my uncle, who raped me repeatedly when I was most vulnerable. I am so relieved that he is dead.” She shuddered and shook her head. “The trials I’ve gone through have made me stronger. I’ve since realized that nothing could ever break me, not even my uncle’s prick. Why do you think King Oderas named me Queen of the Isles? It is my bloodline that is worthy, no matter what you think of me. I can bear you an heir that will achieve the same greatness you have but with a magnitude that is unheard of. Imagine having the power to infiltrate any planet you like. That is my will. Is it not yours? Before your human pet, you refused to take a mate. I heard of this. You see, before you visited my Isle with your brother talking of your plans of conquest, your reputation proceeded you. I’ve had my eyes on the prize—you and the crown—for quite a while. What, now, has changed? I’ll tell you. She’s seduced you and she’ll weaken you. It’s okay if you’re still obsessed with her. The little human bitch can weave such beauty with her peasant fingers. But I like nice things too, just like you. We can share her. I’ll allow it. You can play with her and make her call you master but understand that you’ll always be mine. Lend me your seed now and for eternity and you can keep her…and me.”

I looked down at my dead brother and nearly lost it. My eyes watered, but they couldn’t be tears. A hordesman never cried, never showed emotion in the presence of an enemy. So much pain swelled up in my heart that I let out a compressed wail.

“What was that, Khol? Do you have an answer?” Sanjit murmured, coming closer.

“Yes, I have an answer,” I whispered.

Sanjit smiled.

“Go fuck yourself,” I commanded.

Sanjit screamed like a banshee and her men burst through the doors.

“What is it, Queen?” one of them asked.

“Send word to King Oderas that King Khol has accepted my offer of mating. There will be a ceremony. Go to the spaceship command center and have them get in contact with the Margud bounty hunter at once. Do it quickly.”

“Yes, Queen.”

“You lying bitch,” I growled through clenched teeth.

“The baddest of them all,” she agreed, and walked off, leaving me chained to the chair with the dead body of my brother lying mere feet away.