Kari’s mother and brothers had always tried to defend and protect her, but standing up to her father would either get them beaten or thrown into a cell for awhile. Sometimes both. Of course, that merciful treatment was usually reserved for immediate members of the family. Anyone else was likely to be executed on the spot. Her brothers had spent more than a few nights in shackles on her account. Kari had spent so much time in those same shackles that she was surprised she didn’t have permanent marks on her wrists.
She was glad that her brothers miraculously took after their mother, rather than their father, much to their father’s annoyance. While her four older brothers were warriors in every sense of the word, they also were honorable men with good hearts.
Kari’s mother had long ago been banished to one of the upper wings on the outer perimeter of their home due to her own outspoken nature. There was no love lost between her mother and father, having been joined in an arranged marriage. Fortunately, Kari still managed to spend time with her mother, thanks to some compassionate servants who looked the other way when Kari would sneak off to visit her.
Kari wasn’t the only person who wished her father would die a quick death. Unfortunately, he didn’t appear willing to lie down and die anytime soon, even with numerous assassination attempts against him every year.
Kari continued to study her reflection, hating her appearance. She was much more comfortable in trousers and simple shift shirts than the elaborate clothing she was currently wearing. She spent most of her time helping servants in the kitchen or out in the forest clearings sparring with her brothers—behind her father’s back, of course. It wouldn’t do for her father to know that her brothers spent time with her, especially if they were teaching her any potentially lethal skills.
A sound at her bedroom door startled Kari out of her thoughts and she spun, fearing it was her father or the earl again. Instead, she was surprised to see her mother sneaking into her room carrying a large bag.
“Mother! What are you doing here? How did you get out of your quarters?”
Kari rushed across the room to her mother and wrapped her arms around her, wishing for a moment that she was a little girl again so she could crawl into her mother’s lap for comfort. Lady Kindra stroked her daughter’s hair, letting Kari cling to her for a few moments. The two women were so much alike. Both had the same flowing blonde hair, the same emerald-green eyes, the same height, the same curvy shape to their bodies. Lady Kindra had always looked younger than she was. They could easily pass for sisters instead of mother and daughter.
“My Karinna, I found out what your father has planned for you. If that bastard thinks I would stand for that without doing anything about it, then he should have posted a guard at my door.” Karinna was momentarily shocked to hear her mother refer to the king in such a manner, but then Karinna remembered where she got her willfulness.
“Come, daughter,” Lady Kindra said with a devious slant to her eyes, “we have scheming to do.”
Twenty minutes later, Karinna was again standing in front of her mirror. Her mother stood next to her, dressed in the white costume Kari had been wearing a few short minutes ago. Kari was now dressed in a very similar outfit, except it was a deep red. Both women had crystal headpieces that connected to veils covering their faces. Looking at the two women, with their faces obscured by the filmy fabric, no one would be able to tell which was which.
“Mother, we can’t do this. If you’re caught Father will…” Kari’s voice cracked as she thought of the danger her mother was putting herself in.
“Hush, Karinna, he will not know anything until it is done. Once the coronation is over, I will feign dizziness from all of the excitement and excuse myself. By that time you will be safely away and I will be sitting by the fire in my quarters, reading and having tea. My servants will swear on their lives that I haven’t moved from my sofa all evening. It will be a while before they realize you are not in your quarters.”
Lady Kindra grasped Kari’s hands in hers, squeezing as she spoke with urgency. “You must be off planet by then, daughter. They will order the docking port closed as soon as the search begins. Regardless of what you have to do, get yourself in a ship and get off this world before that happens. Do you understand me, dear one?”
“Yes, mamam,” choked Kari, reverting to the childhood name she used for her mother as tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
Lady Kindra gathered her into her arms, speaking soothing words to her only daughter. “You are strong, Karinna. You will be fine. All will be well, just wait and see.” She pulled away from Kari and held her at arm’s length. “I believe the fates have great things in store for you, dear one. You were not meant to stay here and waste away under the rule of a cruel master. This is your chance to escape and find your true future.”
Jaren leaned against a column with his arms crossed in front of him and surveyed the throne room. It felt good to be off the ship and to be able to stretch his legs, even if it meant he had to stretch them while wearing a mask. He had decided the ancient buccaneers must have been cowards. A true warrior would never hide from his enemy behind a mask, but would proudly show his face so they would know who was about to kill them.
Jaren hated that his situation had brought him to this point. Having to search foreign worlds for his
sha-lia
, his true mate, was not something his people were accustomed to. But he was sure he had seen every unattached female on his planet and had felt nothing for any of them. Well, nothing more than physical attraction, at least.
He wasn’t the only one to wonder whether he and his brothers’ failure to find their true heart-mates would be the downfall of his family. The rumors were now running rampant, and people were getting worried. Jaren’s father was dying and had no heart-mated son to take his place. None of Jaren’s brothers had managed to find their
sha-lia
either, but the primary burden fell on Jaren, as the eldest. It was what he had trained for all his life.
Without his
sha-lia
, Jaren would not only lose his birthright, he would eventually lose his mind. Aldryssian males were shifters, but they could only complete the full transition once they found their mate. Until that time, their alternate form was essentially chained within them, straining for release. Partial shifts allowed the males to maintain their sanity for a time, but their beasts could only be caged for so long before the males descended into madness.
Jaren’s mood darkened at the thought of being cursed with such a fate. He was still young by his people’s standards, only fifty-eight years of age, so he should have another century to search for his heart-mate. Unfortunately, his need had come early and urgently due to his father’s unexpected, and unexplained, illness. They had no idea how long he had left, and it was felt that the transition of authority should take place as soon as possible.
Jaren may have time to find a mate before his mind became unhinged, but if she was not found soon it would be too late to take his father’s position. If Jaren tried to take over for his father without his mate—and make no mistake, he would definitely try—others would challenge him and chaos would ensue. Jaren feared that his Uncle Odair would be first in line to make that challenge, and Odair wouldn’t care how bloody the fight might get.
Jaren shuddered at the implication of his uncle wresting control from him. Odair was a ruthless man with no heart-mate who wouldn’t care how he kept power, so long as he reaped the financial rewards from the continued production of their rare resources. His mental deterioration resulting from lack of a heart-mate had manifested itself in greed, bitterness, and an all-consuming hunger for power. Two attempts on his father’s life were suspected to be the work of Odair, but conclusive proof had never been found.
Jaren swore under his breath. It wouldn’t just be the loss of his father and his family’s legacy, although that would be devastating enough. A
sha-lia’s
life was tied to her mate. With the death of his father, his mother would be ripped from them as well. He felt like a cold fist had wrapped itself around his heart.
Realizing he was getting nothing accomplished, Jaren tried to shake himself out of his gloomy thoughts so he could concentrate on the present. The Montorean Hall was packed with beings from all over the nearby quadrants. Most were humanoid, but there were also some he could easily dismiss as being unsuitable mate candidates without even looking in their eyes. He wasn’t even sure where some of them kept their eyes, much less other important parts that were needed for mating.
The hall was vast, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the nearby forest. The ceiling had metal beams stretching across the expanse with white material draped like giant curtains. It created the feeling that they were in a tent. He much preferred his planet’s architecture. This place had too many metal surfaces and was too cold and impersonal for his liking. Food tables were laid out on one end of the hall and boasted every meat, fruit, cheese, wine, and delicacy imaginable. The throne and dais were situated on the opposite end of the hall. Huge white columns stood at regular intervals down both sides of the hall, with large potted trees between them.
From the sounds Jaren heard coming from behind him, it appeared that some couples were using those columns and trees to hide from prying eyes while indulging in a little party revelry. The celebratory atmosphere of the evening did nothing to lift Jaren’s spirits. If anything, it put him into an even worse mood.
“Mingle, brother,” instructed Jaxson as he walked up to Jaren and passed him a goblet. Jaren sniffed the contents and gathered that it was some type of wine. Sipping the red liquid, he decided he preferred the wine his own people produced on Aldryss.
The brothers had been attracting their fair share of attention since arriving at the event. Jaxson nudged an elbow into Jaren’s ribs and drew his attention to a female who was ogling the brothers with interest. Seeing the brothers look over to her, the female sauntered forward, coming to a stop only inches from Jaren. She wore a shiny black formfitting body suit and knee-high boots with stiletto heels. A black mask completed the ensemble. Her lips were painted a bright red and she licked them seductively, while her hungry gaze roamed over Jaren. Moving so close that her breasts pressed against his upper arm, she ran one finger over his chest.
“I love pirates.” The female practically purred, but her voice grated on Jaren’s nerves. “Why don’t we go find a place where you can plunder my treasure?”
Jaxson choked and sputtered on the wine he had just started to swallow. Jaren turned to glare at him, silently threatening him not to say anything to their brothers when they returned home. Jaxson pretended to take a sudden interest in the tree they were standing next to.
Jaren looked down into the eyes of the female and almost sighed with relief. Thank the gods that this was not his
sha-lia
. “I am sorry, but I am looking for someone.” He didn’t feel he was lying, since he was looking for someone—his mate.
“I’m someone,” The female pouted at him, sticking her bottom lip out and batting her eyelashes. “Couldn’t we get to know each other until you find whoever you’re waiting for? You could tie me up and make me walk your plank.”
That was it. Jaxson lost the little composure he had been holding on to. His laughter burst from him so hard that he had to lean against a column to keep standing. Jaren glared at him, and his entire body felt like a tightened coil, tensing as if preparing to pounce. The female finally huffed and marched off. Jaren assumed she was looking for her next target.
Jaren stalked over to his brother, who had one arm braced against the column and was trying to catch his breath. “Not one word to our brothers.” His eyes narrowed into lethal slits as he raised his finger and pointed it at Jaxson. “Not. One. Word.”
One hour, two strolls around the hall, three goblets of wine, and more offers for sexual favors involving pirate references than Jaren cared to count later, he decided this trip was a complete waste of time. He couldn’t imagine that his mate was anywhere among this crowd of egotistical, selfish, and all-around unpleasant beings. The only thing they would be taking home from this voyage was a humiliating story that Jaxson would torment him with.
Just as he was about to suggest returning to the ship and leaving, the sound of musical horns blasted through the hall, drawing everyone’s attention to the raised dais. Guards marched out from a door on the side of the platform and lined up in front of the attendees. Next came leaders of the noble houses, or so Jaren assumed, judging by their pompous attitudes, despite their lack of crowns. Four males who resembled each other entered next. They wore crowns, and Jaren guessed these were the four princes he had overheard so many of the females gossiping about during the evening. They were dressed in black military uniforms and looked like warriors with thick, strong builds.
More blares from the horns preceded the entrance of the king, who strode onto the platform and seated himself on the ornate golden throne. Jaren and Jaxson had found themselves near the dais when the formalities began and had a clear view of the activity. Jaren’s immediate reaction to seeing the king was that his expression and the way he carried himself reminded him of his uncle Odair. The king also wore a black military uniform, with a short purple cape and a crown embedded with jewels. One of the abilities of Jaren’s people was the capacity to read someone—to instinctively know whether a being possessed a heart for good or a heart for evil. Jaren knew, just by looking at him, that this king did not have a good heart.
Jaren watched as King Myrrn’s gaze scanned the crowd, ensuring that all eyes were on him before standing to speak. “My guests, I welcome you to Montore. Thank you for joining us as we celebrate this important occasion. As is customary when children of the royal family reach twenty-five standard years of age, tonight we officially crown my youngest offspring and only daughter as Princess of Montore.”