“I got ninety-nine problems but an alien ain’t one,” Zoey sang cheerfully as she dragged articles of clothing from her wardrobe, throwing them in different directions behind her. “Ninety-nine problems but my alien ain’t oneeeee.” The last note was completely off-key as she moved like a whirlwind.

“Zoey!” Willa called out. “Zoey!”

“What?” She turned to where Willa sat on a padded stool in the middle of the walk-in wardrobe. Well, that’s what Zoey called it. Really, it was just a storage room she’d commandeered for her clothes. “Why are you wearing my pants on your head?”

“Umm, because I thought I’d try a new style. What? Don’t you think it will catch on?”

Zoey snorted and pulled the pants off Willa’s head.

“You nearly buried me alive,” Willa told her, picking a white shirt off the floor and folding it.

“Most of its cotton,” Zoey told her with a wave of her hand. “It breathes.”

“But would I be able to breathe under the avalanche of tops, pants, and dresses? Seriously, do you even wear all of this stuff?”

“Do you know how often Elodie spits up on me in one day?” Zoey countered. “I change my clothes at least five times a day. An Empress can’t be seen with baby spit on her clothes. An Empress must be composed at all times. An Empress must set a high standard that others will aspire to.”

“Liula’s been to visit?” Willa asked dryly.

“How did you guess?” Zoey gave her a bright smile. “That woman should be used as a form of torture. Get her down in the dungeons with the prisoners for half a day, and they’ll be scared straight for life.”

“Only problem is Zerconia doesn’t have dungeons or prisoners.”

“Even better,” Zoey said. “Send her to someone else’s prison. Preferably a planet that is far, far away.”

“But Elodie would miss her Granny.”

“I suppose,” Zoey agreed reluctantly. “That woman’s only redeeming feature is how much she loves Elodie.”

“How did you convince Dex not to let her come with you to Ulrika to care for Elodie?” Willa asked, folding another shirt.

“It was simple. I told him that this is a romantic holiday and having my mother-in-law along would not be romantic at all.” It might seem weird to bring your baby away on a romantic weekend, but Zoey couldn’t leave her behind.

 

“Uh-huh,” Willa said skeptically.

Zoey sent her a wicked grin. “I also told him that there was no way I would feel comfortable getting down and dirty with him while my mother-in-law was in the next bedroom.”

Willa laughed. “What did he say?”

“He asked if I was planning on not cleaning myself while we were away and was that considered romantic?”

“Oh God, that’s too funny.”

Zoey wrinkled her nose then grinned. “Yeah, it was. These Zerconian warriors have no clue about romance. Honestly, I’ve practically had to hold a blaster to Dex’s head to get him to go away for the weekend with me. I still don’t think he gets it, he’s just doing it to humor me.”

“Because he loves you.”

“Yeah. The big sucker. Didn’t quite get what he bargained for when he got me for a mate.” When they’d mated, both of Dex’s parents had been alive, so becoming Empress had seemed like something that would be in the far distant future.

Then Dex’s father died, Dex became Emperor, and she was thrown into this role she felt totally unprepared for. She was just a small-town girl with a love of old movies and a weird sense of humor. Sometimes she still wasn’t sure how she’d ended up with a huge hunk of spunk as a mate, a beautiful baby girl, and some amazing friends. Sure, some of her duties as Empress might be akin to getting her teeth pulled, and she didn’t see Dex as much as she might like, but she wouldn’t change any of it.

Still, the not seeing Dex much part kind of sucked, so after what seemed like months of begging, which in reality was just a few days, she’d managed to talk him into a weekend away. Just the two of them. Well, and Elodie, her minder, Rastian, Giz, Zoey’s furry companion, Boris, her bodyguard, plus another bodyguard for Dex.

But that seemed nothing compared to living in a huge palace and being surrounded by people day-in, day-out.

“Well, I’m glad these guys aren’t romantic. I wouldn’t know what to do with a romantic Darac,” Willa told her.

“That’s one thing I don’t think you have to worry about,” Zoey told her. “I gave him some flowers to give to you on your birthday last week.”

“Oh, so that’s where he got them from. He came home with a funny look on his face and thrust them at me, saying, ‘here are some dead plants for you’.” They looked at each other then giggled.

“You’re not taking all this with you, are you?” Willa gestured around at the piles of clothes on the floor.

“No.” Zoey pointed to the biggest pile. “I’m just taking these.”

“Just? Zoey, this is more than I’m taking with me when we leave.”

“I wish you weren’t going.”

Willa looked up at her. “I know. But we’ll be back. And if there’s a chance that Lucy can track Lochlan down then we have to take it. I never dreamed he could still be alive. We have to try to find him.”

“I’d feel the same way. And if anyone can find him, Lucy can.” Lucy could track people through objects. Everyone, except Rye, Willa’s oldest brother, had believed Lochlan was dead. Now that they knew he was alive, they had to try and find him.

“I just wish you weren’t all going. It’ll be just me and Mila again.”

“Plus all the other human women invading the place.”

Zoey sniffed. “Yeah, you’re right. Guess it shouldn’t be too hard to replace you, Lucy and Elika.” Elika was Rye’s mate.

Willa picked up a shoe and threw it at her.

“Ow.” Zoey rubbed her shoulder. “You know that it’s a punishable offense to strike the Empress. I think it’s fifty lashes or something.”

“Unless she’s being a bitch, then you get a free pass.”

Zoey moved towards her friend and hugged her hard. “You always get a free pass.”

Willa laughed. “I’ll remember you said that.”