“You fucking bastard,” Alchan growled so quietly, only Mave and Seanev would have heard.
“She’s been hiding with the priests in our region,” Seanev explained quickly. “And Leria decided it was time for you to meet her. She agreed to come here to help the rebellion.”
Alchan’s growl was louder this time. Mave didn’t understand, but she took a step forward. She didn’t make it to the female. Neither did Seanev, who was turning to put himself in front of her.
Rain was suddenly by her side, his face pale, and a smile plastered on his face.
“I’m Rainev. Why don’t you come with me, and we’ll figure out where you’re going to stay?”
“That would be nice,” Lilliana whispered. “I’m sorry for any trouble I may have caused.”
“You haven’t caused any trouble,” Rain said kindly, taking her hand. “Others are responsible for that.” The look Rain sent Alchan seemed as if it should send the bedru king to his knees, then Rain led the little female away, their footsteps practically echoing in the dead silence of the city.
Allaina leaned to Mave’s ear and whispered, “She’s an ahren. Leria has gone too far this time.”
5
Rainev
Rain swallowed a hard lump in his throat. Like every Andinna in the vicinity, he had recognized Lilliana for what she was the moment he’d laid eyes on her.
Leria has sent a skies damn ahren.
Rain only hoped Alchan didn’t kill Seanev over the obvious meddling. The general had been uncomfortable with it, so this was definitely the meddling of a mativa who thought she knew better than everyone.
He knew he had to rescue the female from the crowd before it got out of hand, so he had stepped forward. Not just for her, but himself. He had to evaluate the threat, and Lilliana, a tiny submissive female, was a threat. Not to him or his safety but to his happiness.
She was the one thing in the world he believed could tear him and Alchan apart—the only thing.
“You’re the king’s Consort,” she said softly as they walked. Rain didn’t waste any time in getting her out of the village and onto the dirt trail toward the cliffside he called home. Once there, he let go of her hand, knowing there was no longer a crowd to separate them.
“Yes,” Rain answered, looking back at her.
“I am so sorry about this.” Her voice was sultry and scared. She probably didn’t even mean for it to be, but there was a huskiness that begged even him to get hard. If he closed his eyes, he could probably ignore that she was female and just drown in her voice.
That scared him.
But he had to see her, so he forced himself to do just that. Her words were shaky and fearful. She was probably terrified of retribution, and Rain couldn’t blame her, but he knew there was no reason for her to fear.
She didn’t ask for this. It’s written all over her, her embarrassment, her fear. She didn’t want to do this.
“I know this isn’t your fault,” Rain said softly. “We’re going to work this out and make sure no one gets hurt.” Now, he offered an arm to her. “Let me escort you properly, and we’ll get to the bottom of this. I’m going to ask some uncomfortable questions, but it’s better I ask instead of Alchan.”
“Of course. I know what you must be thinking.” She seemed ashamed. It burned him to think Leria had placed this female in a position where she had to feel that way.
“How did you end up coming down here? We’re the center of the rebellion. It’s not a good place for someone like you.” A submissive female who couldn’t even look him in the eye. He only knew she had pretty amethyst eyes because he’d caught a glimpse of them before she had bowed before Alchan.
“Leria came to me and said she finally had a way for me to help the rebellion. I’m good at organizing and thought she would use those skills. I don’t…I don’t disobey orders, though, so when she said she was going to send me down here, I didn’t argue. I couldn’t argue.” She looked up for a second, something pleading in her expression.
“You don’t have the dominance to argue with someone like Leria. I understand. I don’t either. I might hate the decisions made by some of the more dominant Andinna, but I don’t have the dominance to really fight with them over it,” he said gently, slowly walking toward his shared home with Alchan. He didn’t know where else to take her. The war room wasn’t appropriate, and people would be there. Alchan’s home and their privacy were strictly enforced. No one would find her there. The rumors were probably already starting. He could think of a few ways a female like herself could get into trouble.
“Is he going to be angry with me?” she asked, swallowing. “I don’t…I don’t want to do what I think she wants me to do. Is he going to want that? From the news, he’s…very happy with you.”
“So, we’re on the same page, then,” Rain said, trying to keep it light and take it as a bad joke. “Alchan and I are very happy, thank you. No one here is going to force you to do anything, Leria and Alchan won’t be angry with you. Do you mind if I call you Lily? Your name reminds me—”
“Of the flower. Yes, it’s fine.” She nodded, her black hair falling over her face and hiding it.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to call you something you don’t want to be called. If there’s anything I’ve learned as a submissive male, there is power in it, and sometimes, that power is just holding a boundary, a line you don’t want crossed. If someone cares about you, they won’t cross it, even if they want to. If they do, you know they don’t respect or care about you.”
“I like it,” she said, looking up with a small smile, her amethyst eyes glittering with a moment of happiness. “Lily is nice.”
“Wonderful.” Rain wanted to build a rapport with this female. His immediate instinct was that she was a threat faded as his mind caught up to his heart. He almost felt sorry for her, but not in a pitiful way. He related. Being a submissive Andinna meant having to trust the more dominant ones. She had trusted Leria to do what was in the best interest of the probably only living ahren in the world. Leria had proven herself unworthy of that trust in Rain’s mind. Leria had offered her up on a platter.
That was what made him feel bad.
It also pissed him off.
Rain didn’t question her more. Her body language told him everything he needed to know and probably more than she would have liked. The way she clung to his arm. The way she looked down at her feet as they walked. The way she shook when she heard noise back in the village.
“I’m sorry this happened,” he whispered, finally knowing something needed to be said as his home came into view.
“Me too,” she replied, not looking up this time. “Seanev didn’t even tell me he was going to introduce me to…His Majesty. I was hoping I could just find work when I got here and ignore the situation completely. I should have known Seanev would do what Leria asked him to do, and she thinks ahead. She would have known I would try to hide from it.”
“She’s a mativa. She’s supposed to be smart,” Rain said, trying to hide the acid he wanted to spit in that fucking bitch’s face. “This is my home…with Alchan. You can call him Alchan, by the way, and I’m Rain.”