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“Parents are not allowed to watch the assessment.”
Assessment? She didn’t like the sound of that. Would the males be assessing her or would she assess them? Somehow, she doubted it would be the latter. “I’d rather not go in there alone.”
“The males are held to very strict standards of behavior,” Winlos explained. “If any of them violates the rules, they will be escorted from the room immediately.”
She probably meant the statement to reassure Cara, but all she could think about was how different Altorian standards of behavior were from human. “Will you please answer one last question?”
Winlos triggered the door as she said, “It depends on the question.” She motioned for Cara to enter the room.
Cara stepped inside, but looked back as she asked, “If nothing is wrong with Flora, why won’t my parents let me see her?”
Winlos remained in the hallway. “You know the answer. Do not ask about her again.”
“I don’t know!” Cara yelled as the door slid shut between them. “I honestly don’t understand!” She kicked the door in frustration then turned around. Six sets of eyes stared back at her curiously. “Sorry.”
The room wasn’t large or impressive, much like the rest of the Citadel. The perimeter walls were lined with armless chairs and padded benches, but everyone was standing. The males congregated in groups of two, as if they didn’t want to get too close to the competition. Cara knew all their names from studying the dossiers but she was anxious to actually meet them. In the dossiers, the teams had been numbered. She hoped the numbers didn’t indicate priority for her parents. If that were true, her preferences were reversed from theirs.
“What do you not understand?”
She wasn’t sure who had spoken, but it was unlikely that any of these males would react differently. Altorian customs might seem strange and unfair to her, but they were all well acquainted with them.
Not surprisingly, Chancellor Ephrod Laeth approached her first. He was one of the planetary leaders, so he likely felt it was his right to begin. He was the controller for team one. The male standing a step back from him was Boslit, team one’s source. Both wore dark blue business suits not unlike what one would find on Earth.
Was it coincidence that the dress her parents had chosen for her was also dark blue? The possibility made her intensely uncomfortable. Despite their wealth and authority, team one was by far her least favorite. “Chancellor Laeth,” she greeted with a tentative smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”
His jaw worked and his eyes narrowed as he stared down at her. “It is customary for someone of my station to instigate the formal greeting. I will ignore the infraction because of your primitive upbringing.”
Wow, nice to meet you indeed.She lowered her gaze and took a deep breath. Less than a minute in his presence and he confirmed all of her misgivings. This jackass was even more of an arrogant prick than her father, and she hadn’t thought that was possible. “I apologize. The information I was given didn’t detail greeting protocols.”
“Ignore him,” someone advised, his voice much warmer than the chancellor’s. “We cannot expect you to follow our rules when you aren’t aware of them yet.”
Glancing up to locate the speaker, she found him standing to Ephrod’s left. He had reddish brown hair and amber-colored eyes. “My name is Skolat, and this is Idrix, my source.” Skolat was team two’s controller. Both males wore fitted blue uniforms edged in gold.
Maybe the color of her dress was coincidence after all. She dipped her head rather than sticking out her hand. Shaking hands was a human custom. Altorians seemed to love formality, so she said, “I’m honored to make your acquaintance.”
“You are a long way from home,” Idrix said with a friendly smile. “I hope your journey wasn’t too unpleasant.”
It wasn’t really a question, but his smile encouraged her to share. “The actual journey was over before I realized what was happening. The next two weeks were more challenging.”
“No doubt.” Merrik insinuated himself between Skolat and Ephrod. He was team three’s source and the best-looking male in the room. His size and muscular build had confused her when she’d studied his information. Judging strictly by appearance, she would have thought he was a controller. “It had to have been quite a shock to find out you were an alien.” His shoulder-length hair combined blue, gray, and white into a color Cara had never seen before. His eyes were deep red, like burgundy wine.
His teasing tone put her at ease while his sexy half-smile sent her pulse racing. “I’m still adjusting to all the changes.”
“I’m Merrik, by the way, and this is Tov Nee, commander of theAgitarri.” He motioned toward a dark-haired male with piercing ice-blue eyes. A close clipped beard framed his mouth and accented his strong jawline.
Tov ambled forward and held out his hand.
Surprised by the human gesture, she placed her hand on his. His long fingers closed and he raised her hand to his lips. Both Tov and Merrik wore snug synth-leather pants and loose-fitting shirts. They looked more like pirates than soldiers.
“You never answered the chancellor’s question.” His deep voice seemed to rumble through her entire body and then his lips brushed against her skin. Warmth cascaded through her torso and pooled between her legs. Her nipples hardened and her core clenched. Holy crap, she was in serious trouble if the faint brush of his lips could do that to her. “Why were you upset when you first entered the room?”
She hesitated. Altorian males preferred submissive, obedient females. It was unlikely any of them would have approved of her behavior in the corridor. “It was nothing. I will deal with it later.”
Tov’s brows drew together and his lips thinned. “Answer the question.” His tone became inflexible.
In her opinion, Tov and Merrik were the most interesting of the three teams. And it wasn’t just their handsome features. Their videos had been lively, their accomplishments more varied than the other teams. The chancellor bragged about his privileged upbringing and the generational wealth of his family. Skolat and Idrix were both career military and their attitudes reflected that fact. Tov didn’t just command theAgitarri, he owned it and fifteen other warships. He decided when and how his fleet would be used. Team three seemed independent, even a bit rebellious, and that appealed to Cara greatly. Why not tell Tov and see what he did with the information?
“I was taken from Earth with my two cousins. We were raised together so I think of them as sisters. I have not seen or spoken with either since our rescue and I am worried about both. When I realized that my older cousin, Flora, was here at the Citadel, I asked if I could speak with her. All I want is a quick interaction to be assured that she is not in danger or being abused.”
