The drakeen whirled around, their weapons leveled at him. Cade swallowed, the sharp tingle of fear rolling up his spine like a prickly-burr from home. Before he could blink, several B’Kaar stepped forward, their weapons systems all active.
Shit… were they actually going to go up against the emperor and his drakeen?
“He started it,” he said quickly, motioning toward Rohn.
“Lies! He’s Vorr. They all lie!” Rohn hissed, clambering back to his feet. “He struck me without provocation! Arrest him!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say without provocation,” Jay said lazily, folding his arms over his chest. In training leathers, he could have been a Latharian warrior, but as soon as he spoke there was no mistaking he was human. “You were the one who started the name calling.”
Rohn glared at him, but Daaynal cut off any reply. “Is this true, Rohnat?”
Cade schooled his expression when the emperor used the full version of the prince’s name. That was bad news.
“He is Vorr,” Rohn spat again but with less venom as he looked around and realized no one else seemed to have a problem with Cade. “What is he doing here? This is not a Vorr ship.”
“The Vorr have no ships,” Risyn said mildly. “Everyone knows that. Cade is here as an honorary member of the B’Kaar.”
“Why?” Rohn looked between Cade and the B’Kaar war commander. “The B’Kaar have never had an alliance with the Vorr.”
Risyn’s expression didn’t change, but Cade got the feeling he liked Rohn less than Cade did, if that was possible. “A blood debt. Which means he is one of ours, and we will protect him as such.”
Daaynal nodded, the drakeen returning to their normal positions around him. “Of course, of course. Now, shall we continue? There’s a lot to be done before we arrive in the Terran system tomorrow.”
Earth was not exactly as Cade had expected.
It was warmer for one thing, the air wrapping around him like a warm white blanket as soon as he stepped from the temperature-controlled interior of the landing craft. Blue skies stretching as far as the eye could see met his gaze and his leathers were stuck to his skin before he’d reached the bottom of the steps.
He took a deep breath, tasting the air as he rolled it over his tongue and drew it deep into his lungs. Scent was an important sense for him, far more important than hearing or vision, not that he would ever admit it to anyone who wasn’t Vorr.
The scent of Earth told him many things. Despite the blue skies and the tree-lined inclines that surrounded the landing pad, they weren’t in the countryside. The air was filled with a toxic smog of propellant fumes and chemical smells. A trace of effluent hung in the air along with the unmistakable smell of too many beings crammed into a small space.
He scanned the scene around them automatically as he stepped off the boarding stairs. A group of humans waited for them in a small semicircle. They were mostly male, but a few were females. He had to stop himself gawking in outright fascination. He’d only seen three human females before and only two of them close enough to speak to. He hadn’t realized they all looked so different… or had so many different hair colors.
The group was arranged in two lines. Two types of beings were present. The front line was comprised mostly of older beings in some kind of formal wear with the younger ones in Terran uniform standing behind them. Most of them, even the ones in uniform, he dismissed after a single glance. They weren’t a threat.
The male in the middle, though, the one who stepped forward to greet the emperor with a smile, was different.
“Your Grace,” the male said, his deep voice easily reaching every member of the group. “Welcome back to Earth.”
Every instinct Cade had went on high alert as the male offered his hand to the emperor. He was dangerous. Cade felt that down to his bones.
“Thank you.” Daaynal shook the human’s hand, which seemed strange to Cade, used to the warrior’s forearm clasp as a greeting. “May I introduce my senior staff? General Xaandril M’rln, Ambassador Isan of the Izaea and War Commander Risyn of the B’Kaar.”
Cade grinned at the furious look on Rohn’s face when the emperor didn’t introduce him.
“Who is that?” He leaned in to ask Jay, who had disembarked right after him, nodding toward the tall human. After yesterday’s altercation on the Devan’kra, they were flanked either side by the B’Kaar. Most were in their exosuits, but the higher-ranking ones weren’t.
“That’s Cameron Murphy, President of Earth,” Jay replied in an undertone. As the champion’s son-in-law, he wore the leathers of the M’rln clan, the pattern and cut different to Cade’s mended and patched Vorr leathers. They’d belonged to his father and were still a little large on him.
“He looks dangerous.” Cade kept his voice low as the two leaders exchanged pleasantries.
“Yeah, Murphy’s as black as they come. Shark in a suit.”
Cade sighed, giving up on decoding the human’s words. “What does that mean?”
“I believe it indicates an elite level of military training.” Berrick had fallen back to join them.
Jay nodded in confirmation. “Like, the baddest of the bad. You wouldn’t ever want to meet him in a dark alley.”
“Meet who in a dark alley?”
A new voice broke in, and all three of them whirled around to find out that Murphy himself had crept up on them. Cade blinked in surprise. It was hard to sneak up on even a normal member of the Vorr bloodline, and that went double… no, triple for him.
The human looked at them expectantly, a neutral but pleasant expression on his features. The bland mask gave nothing away. Cade drew another breath in, automatically analyzing the scents rising from the group in front of him. The Lathar he ignored. He knew their scents and could discount them. He was more interested in the humans who stood in front of him.
All interest Cade had had in any of the females in the group fled as soon as he registered the scent rising from the human male. It was delicious, wrapping around him and almost bringing him to his knees. Unusually for a male, it was light and floral with a core of something exotic that drew him like a moth to a flame.
“And I do believe I see a familiar face. Major Stephens.” Murphy smiled, his pale eyes warm as he extended his hand for Jay to shake. “I was pleased to hear that you had been found alive and well.”
“Thank you, sir.” A smile was drawn from Jay even though Cade knew his friend didn’t feel like it. It was there in his scent, the memories of pain and loss there for anyone to read if they had the nose. “It was… touch and go for a while. My unit didn’t make it.”
Sorrow washed over Murphy’s face as he pressed his other hand over the back of Jay’s. “I heard. I am sorry for your loss. Your comrades will be remembered with honor.”
Jay’s expression tightened, a feral little smile crossing his face. “Thanks, sir, but don’t worry. They got their comeuppance and then some.”
There was an answering flash of darkness in Murphy’s eyes and Cade forced himself to resist the urge to draw closer. To bury his nose in the side of the male’s neck and breathe in the alluring scent. It was compelling, calling to him, and he knew instinctively what it was.