She had been avoiding him. Nash couldn’t get a moment alone with Adelina since that atrocity. Alpha or one of her siblings was constantly at her side. Useless chatter was all she managed when he was around. Nash had even stalked her using his stealth tech. He had followed her to her rooms at night, praying she would sense him and they could speak. But she locked her door behind her and he didn’t dare break her trust by passing through those walls. For all he knew she was furious with him for what she had to sacrifice.

How could her own sister demand such a thing in good conscience? Nash shook his head in disgust. Tempering his fury after that disturbing display had taken every shred of control he possessed. The way Raena had treated Adelina sent him into a blind rage he feared would cause him to rip the heir to pieces. Only William’s heavy hand and furious whispers to hold back kept him in check. William made sure to inform him it would only get worse for Adelina if he did anything and that was all that had kept Nash seated.

The other courtiers in the halls jumped out of his way as he stalked through the palace. Adelina had gone to the library and he intended to speak with her regardless of who stood by her side. Nash had to get her to take it back, to revoke his sanctuary so she could regain her freedom. He wasn’t a fool. After everything that had transpired she could never turn to him for love, no matter how much he wished it.

It was for the best. He had nothing to offer her except a ravaged kingdom occupied by monsters.

The doors flew open as he pushed and Nash had to remind himself the pad worked well enough. He forgot how much stronger he was on Draga Terra than Khara Prime. The difference in gravity was minute, but it was enough to affect his strength after cycles of training.

As the only Corinthian in the palace, his slight differences from the Kalan makeup were glaringly obvious. It wasn’t just the small difference in their suns, but the difference in their genetic makeup that was done centuries before. His ancestors had chosen a different formula based on the prides of the large cats that graced their ancestral Earth. This alteration to their genes was meant to prevent chaos and destruction in the human race after they’d destroyed their planet all those centuries ago and nearly wiped out humanity altogether. Because of this his race was taller, broader, and tended to be stronger than the people of the Draga galaxy.

Nash wasn’t sure why the Kalans were so against violence when it was in their human nature as well as the wolves. His people had simply found a peaceful outlet for it. He had spent five cycles in the fighting arena himself and there were days he missed it.

Then he saw her, the little female with her enticing scent and fragile form. Nash made for Adelina and was instantly intercepted by her guard.

“I don’t believe you’re welcome,” Alpha snapped. If Nash didn’t know better he’d think the male was jealous.

“Step aside before I have to force you,” Nash warned. No one would keep him from convincing her something had to be done. He was running out of time and it had to be done now, before the announcement.

Alpha crossed his arms over his chest in defiance.

With a sigh Nash stepped around him, reminding himself he had to be peaceful if he wanted to accomplish anything. “Adelina, I need to speak with you.”

“It is Princess Adelina to you, traitor.”

Nash whipped around so fast Alpha took a step back in surprise. Before he could blink, Nash had his fingers wrapped around the smaller male’s throat. “I understand you are fulfilling your duty, but call me a traitor again and I’ll kill you.” He understood the male’s anger, even respected it. He was the cause of her pain and he hated himself too, but he would not stand for the disrespect.

“Nash, please.” A soft voice and an even softer hand touched him.

At her cool touch he let out a breath and then released the guard. “I apologize,” he said, attempting to regain his control.

Ever since Adelina gave up her freedom he had been on edge. Every instinct he had screamed for him to protect her, to do something and it had been slowly driving him mad as he was blocked at every turn. “I need to speak to you, Princess. You have to talk to your father and have him cancel the announcement. Have him retract the agreement. I can manage among the stars. Your freedom isn’t worth what you received in return.”

He practically begged.

Nash felt worthless. She had given up so much, sacrificed all she had for him when no one else would. He would kneel before her and swear his fealty and loyalty if he thought it would make a difference.

When she had looked at him and smiled as she reminded him she’d kept her promise, he had felt something shatter inside. Nash had felt the pull like never before and now she wouldn’t speak to him. “I apologize for everything. Please, forgive me?” He couldn’t help himself; he took her hands in his despite the guard’s glare.

Adelina frowned in confusion. “There is nothing to forgive, Prince Nash.”

He didn’t understand. “Then why won’t you speak with me, why do you avoid me?”

Nash watched as her face fell and he couldn’t help the growl that slipped out. No, it wasn’t because of him, but something else. “Tell me,” he demanded.

The sun shone down on Adelina’s dark head through the dome of glass and she looked helplessly at Alpha. Her guard shrugged in response. This was bound to happen eventually, he seemed to say. “Raena has forbidden me to see you alone.”

It felt as though the world stopped. The librarian returning books to shelves slowed to a standstill. Even the guard was mid-scratch as he contemplated Nash. Fury ripped through him so hard and so fast he thought he might literally explode. “Then she does not approve of me as a match?” he asked softly, gently to hide the barely restrained anger.

Adelina’s mouth fell open in shock and she pulled her hands out of his. “I wouldn’t know as the topic has never presented itself.”

Alpha snorted and she blushed.

The librarian continued putting books away and once again everything moved in regular time. Nash tucked his hands into his pockets to appear less aggressive and he smiled at the tiny female who had turned his life upside down. It was utterly idiotic to mention marriage. He wanted to kick himself. There was no way he could marry Adelina. It was simply not possible when he had to leave Draga Terra the second he located enough of his armies to launch an attack. His fury made him say stupid things.

“You need to request a retraction to my sanctuary,” Nash reiterated, changing the subject to something a little less dangerous.

Adelina shook her head and walked towards the shelf she’d been inspecting when he arrived. “I cannot. Raena has taken her payment, and even if the sanctuary was again withheld she still holds my marriage. There is no way to get that back once it’s been given.” The princess gave him an odd look. “Don’t you see? Now she has a bargaining chip she never had before. What if she could marry me off to say, the Neprijat for the promise of peace?”

Every part of him grew cold and Nash stilled as he considered the horror. He doubted Raena had thought of such a thing, yet this small princess had…every time he turned around he learned something new about her.

Then fear filled him as he stared at her gorgeous purple eyes and considered what the Neprijat King would do to her. It choked him and he couldn’t look away, couldn’t even blink. His body told him to protect her, it strained against his resistance, yelling at him to fix this and figure out a way to keep her safe and alive.

“Never,” he promised. “Never again will I lose someone I care about to that monster.” Nash gripped her arms, damn the rules. He pulled her close and kissed her hard enough to bruise. “We will find a way around this. I will kill the beast and reclaim my kingdom if that’s what I have to do to keep you safe.” Adelina looked up at him and then down as that lovely blush colored her golden cheeks. It was confounding, but everything about this princess made his tragedies fall away and he felt like himself once more. He was the dark and she the light.

Tears lined her eyes and Nash felt volatile; dangerous. Someone had to pay, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. It was time he started planning. With that thought he released her and smiled, transforming into nothing more than a male who considered the princess a friend. “Don’t you need to get ready for the announcement? I hear females in Draga take hours to properly dress.”

She watched him warily, taking a book from the shelf. “I had a bit of free time and came here to see what I could find from my great-grandfather’s reign.” She tucked a blacker-than-night curl behind her ear and her fingers fluttered with nerves.

Even now she kept her promise. Nash narrowed his eyes. Tiny details came into focus; the beaded sweat on her collarbone and the different depths of purple in her eyes. Her strange scent filled his nose and he licked his lips. The sweetness made him hungry for her, but there was an unspoken resistance. He wanted to say damn the universe and make Adelina his. Nash would rip anyone to pieces who dared claim otherwise – even the soon-to-be Queen of Draga.

The more logical and reasonable side of him reminded Nash he had a duty to perform that could not be neglected. “You will be late,” he warned.

Nash felt his shoulders tighten. Knowing she was forbidden didn’t keep his thoughts from wandering to places they shouldn’t. He could not try and see if she tasted as sweet as she smelled if he wanted to protect her from her own family. Nash tilted his head as he studied Adelina and realized he could use one of the thick shelves to hold her up as he pushed aside that mesmerizing silk skirt. He wondered briefly if she wore undergarments or not.

Adelina blushed under his intense scrutiny and Nash felt his curiosity grow. Was she somehow aware of the trail his thoughts were on? “I was just about finished,” she said defensively. Her sweet scent filled the air again and he breathed it in deep.

She had said it was called jasmine once when they were a few cycles younger. Nash took a step towards her. He couldn’t help himself. The heat from her skin blossomed. Everything on this planet was so damned warm.

“Have you found anything?” His eyes dropped to her lips and the memory of her softness made his cock ache in response.

Alpha cleared his throat and he knew he should leave.

Nash needed to get it together.

The princess put the book back on the shelf and wiped her hands on her skirt. His eyes flashed to the healed cuts on her palm and the reminder of the hot, spicy taste of her blood made his pants uncomfortably tight. Nash turned without warning and quickly made his way to the exit. The answer to his question could go to all the hells. His control was already shaky. It would not do to risk it and there would be another time to ask her about the shikta books.

He passed row upon row of deep, dark wooden shelves. He had never seen so many books in one place before. His own capitol had digitized most of the work. Once he passed through the doors into the main part of the palace Nash took a moment to gather his bearings. It took more strength than he cared to admit to leave her without once glancing back. Nash feared if he’d looked at her any longer he’d kiss her again and if he kissed her that wouldn’t be all he would do, guard or no.

He was a lost prince without a kingdom. Nash had nothing to offer except war and death, but if he succeeded? Adelina was the light in the darkness, or rather the light that drew the darkness to her. The flame that burned through the night when all hope was lost. He would do everything he could to give her back her choice. He would not be the one to take that hope away from her people, not when he knew they would need it when the Neprijat crossed their border – and he had no doubt they would.

The long hallway took him through the main part of the palace and he kept a brisk pace. His boots were silent against the stone. His thumb rubbed the device in his wrist as he considered activating it, but he needed them all to see him. They needed to watch him go to his rooms peacefully and change for the events that night.

The guest rooms were elegant and he scanned his rooms as he entered. His meager possessions a mockery of what he once had. He entered his bedchamber and crossed to his closet. The spidersilk formalwear Adelina had commissioned for him was the only clothing he had other than his uniform.

No, he needed a cold shower first. Nash entered his washroom, elegant in its simplicity. He stripped, stepped into the cubicle, and activated it. Cold water washed over him to cool the heat Adelina had stirred in his blood. Nash breathed in the smell of the mint soap, clearing her sweet scent from his nostrils.

He couldn’t help but wonder if there would ever be a time after his kingdom was reclaimed and the war was won…no, he wouldn’t even think of it. He would do what he could now and consider the rest later. There were plans to make and pieces to move into place.