Where were those three girls? He must have them. He would do anything to get them.
“S-s-sire,” a squeaky voice came from the entrance of the room.
He spun around, throwing his staff at the intruder.
“What?!” Luzzeh stomped toward his throne.
“One of the scouts has information for you.” The scrawny-legged green creature shook.
“Send him in.”
“Yes, sire,” he replied, backing in a forward bent posture. When close enough to the door, he ran out. Worthless pieces of orc shit. At this rate, he was never getting out of this dimension. A kappy almost identical to the other walked in and bowed before him.
“Sire, the females have been seen climbing the citogen volcano.”
“Who the demon’s hell are the citogen?”
“They are the red fae warriors, sire.”
“Warriors, you say?” He quickly calculated how many of his own soldiers he’d lose if they battled. He figured twenty kappies per fae. Estimating one hundred men to keep the math simple, he’d lose over half his army. But if they captured the females, the number lost would mean nothing. His happy ass would be back in the Crystal Kingdom before the next meal.
The bowing kappy said, “Perhaps, sire, the citogen will negotiate with you for the females.”
Negotiate? When was the last time he didn’t just take all he wanted? But maybe this would be an excellent first step. He could scope out the enemy’s offense, the enemy’s stronghold.
Yes. He was brilliant.
Now to finally get those females.
Chapter Twelve
Lilah paced behind the iron bars, furious at being locked up again. They told the king the truth about Zee’s village suddenly showing up, proving they were not the enemy. But on the good side of this, she’d hopefully get to see Ferrus again.
He heated her body and her head. She was torn between drooling over him and yelling at him. Who did he think he was dropping the bomb in the mine tunnel, demanding she was his? Like she would consider being with a man who she couldn’t even show her body to.
Okay, she was kidding herself. She wanted to be with him. Down and dirty, rolling in the mud with him, but she couldn’t see herself staying in this environment long term. Hot warrior or not.
Voices in the hallway startled her out of her daydreaming. She heard the male guard say, “I was not told about the prisoners being fed. You cannot enter.” Softer words were spoken, arguing with the man.
Another male voice said, “Let them through. They are only females. They’re useless against us.”
Lilah’s blood boiled, and she was about to pop her top. If these men said one more degrading remark to a woman, she’d take on her first case of sex discrimination in this strange world.
Around the corner came Valori and Shinni carrying large trays with food and jugs of water. Thank god! Ferra came forward and gripped the bars, bending them enough to pass the dishes through.
“Thank you so much, Valori and Shinni,” Daphne said. “I’m starving.” The group of four sat and handed around the bowls. The food resembled a leafy salad with strips of orange, yellow, and brown. Another stone container held diced purple pieces. They reminded her of beets and passed them on.
Ferra gave Valori a look that said something was up.
“What?” Lilah said. “If you need to say something, say it.”
The three ladies sat in front of the group on the outside of the bars.
“Lilah,” Valori said. She glanced at the woman, seeing the concern in her caring face. “You changed rock into metal.”
Wren sat up. “Really? That’s awesome. How’d you do that?”
Lilah lifted a shoulder and dropped it. “Not sure. It’s probably like you making trees from chairs and tables.” She hadn’t compared herself to her cousin, but her ability was sorta like Wren’s. The normal gnoleon couldn’t control limbs and roots. Her cousin was the alpha female, the only one who had the power—
A thought hit her, and she gasped, sucking her food down the wrong pipe. Slapping her hand on her chest, she coughed up a piece of leaf.
Daphne pounded on her back. “You okay?”
Still coughing, she shook her head, then took a breath. “Not if they’re going to tell me what I think they are.”
Daphne frowned, brows drawn. “What are they telling you?”
Lilah stared the elder in the eye. “Let me guess. Only the female alpha is able to make stone into metal.” All three women bowed their heads.
“Yes, Alpha,” the trio said in unison.
Lilah dropped her carrot-looking thing. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, ladies. There will be none of that bowing stuff. I’m the same as you.” Well, Lilah wasn’t really like anyone else there unless someone liked to argue points of law and precedence.
But she did look like them, heavy hips and ass from walking the slopes their entire lives, the same idea as Wren resembling the villagers in the forest and her alpha mate.
Wren and Daphne stopped eating to stare at her. “You are the mate to the next in line to be king? Just like me?” Wren’s smile lit up her face for the first time since they got here.
Oh shit. She dropped her face into her hands, her cheeks heating quickly. Who was the prince? Ferrus said the asshole who hit the woman in the dining room was the prince. That was precisely what she’d expect from this king’s son.
Valori whispered, “This is very dangerous for you because mates are not allowed.”
That didn’t make sense. “Mates are mates, allowed or not. As far as I know.” She glanced at Zee.
He tilted his head to the right. “That is how I understand the mating call.”
“No, not like that,” Valori continued. “Mates are not allowed to be together, or the female will be killed.”
Lilah’s jaw fell open. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding? Of course, it would be the female.” Her hands squeezed whatever food she had in it. She wanted to throw it against the wall to express her frustration, but that would be childish. As an adult, she could control her actions.
Valori continued. “In the years following the no mates dictate, there had been attacks on females. Most were of the sexual kind. To not tempt men, the king ordered females to hide their bodies.”
Lilah let out a deep breath. One more negative thing, and that would be it. Her top would flip. “Okay, so we can’t tell anyone, or I’ll be killed. We’ll never be together.” She sighed with relief, knowing she wouldn’t have to be with that bastard, but her heart hitched at the thought of not seeing Ferrus again.
She barely knew him, but she wanted to be with him. And no—she was sure she’d never be with him. He was an angelic face and could have any of the beautiful women here whenever he wanted. She’d seen children, so apparently, sex was still approved.
“Oh,” Shinni said, “you will get to see him at night.”
“I don’t understand. Is the rule suspended at night?”
The younger one’s face turned bright red.
Valori harrumphed at the younger fae. “According to law, when it is time to rest for the night, each male chooses a female to sleep with. Whether they join for bearing a child or not does not matter. As long as the male is able to satisfy their inner urges is what matters.”