AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Family,” Anton said, with a dead serious look in his eyes.
“What?”
“She’s the aunt of that child, Zharina, who communicates telepathically with my son Gavin, and claims they are to be wed when they come of age.”
“So sheisVeredian? But those horns—”
“She’s a hybrid Guldan-Veredian.”
My heart skipped a beat. “How is that even possible?”
“That’s a story for her to tell,” Anton said. “I am sending her to my father on Braxia.”
My blood froze, and an irrational rage I barely managed to repress had my spine stiffening nearly to the breaking point.
“What do you mean ‘sending her to your father’?” I asked, my voice dangerously low.
Anton narrowed his eyes at me. “She has business on Braxia. He will offer her his protection during her stay.”
“Iwill protect her,” I said a tone that brooked no argument.
I had the utmost respect for his father, Krygor Aldriss, but I didn’t want him anywhere near my woman. She became mine the moment she entered the room, and her eyes undressed me with a glimmer of approval. If any man could prove a rival, it was Anton’s father.
“Ravik, she’s a breathtaking female and one who, oddly enough, likes brutish looking men like you and me—even more so like you. Braxia is on the verge of a civil war. You becoming involved with a half-breed female, not even half-Braxian, will further fan the flames.” Anton leaned forward, his stance somewhat pleading as he tried to reason with me. “Guldans are knocking at your door. Once they realize what she is, they will hunt her down with a vengeance. She’s worth a fortune.”
“If the war comes, it will do so with or without her. As for the Guldans, I will personally deal with them. They will not dictate what happens on my home world.”
“Ravik…”
“Would you have given up Grace over possible threats from your clan?” I asked, interrupting him.
Anton’s eyes widened. “Grace is my soulmate. Are you saying—?”
“I’m saying that the last time a female stirred me this strongly dates back thirty-eight years ago with my Lissy. However rotten the timing, the Fates will decide its outcome, not any pressure Braxia would impose on me. I didn’t help you get rid of Braxia’s shackles only to don them myself.”
Anton cringed then nodded in concession.
“If anything happens to her, Braxia will have an even greater problem on its hands.”
“The Tuureans,” I said on a hunch.
“Yes. But not just because they are protective of the Veredians. The Tuurean leader cares deeply for Ravena. If she comes to harm, the Ancestors help Braxia.”
My temper flared again. “Admiral Lee?” I asked, my voice taking on a sharp edge. “What does he want with her?”
Anton smirked, and I clenched my jaw, embarrassed by my primitive display of jealousy.
“The Admiral is already mated and harbors no romantic interest towards Ravena. But he does love her and will bring down the entire Tuurean fleet on Braxia if she’s not returned safely.”
I narrowed my eyes, reading between the lines. “You think Guldans might orchestrate a confrontation to force us into an alliance with them.”
Anton nodded. “Braxia cannot defeat the Tuureans on its own, especially not if their fiercest allies, the Xelixians, join the fray. You’d need the Guldans, and probably the Sarenians as well, for a chance to survive.”
“Which is exactly where the Guldans want us,” I said, nodding slowly.
“Yes.”
I gazed at him affectionately. “For a businessman, you would have made quite the military advisor.”
