Heir Of Violence (#1 Betrayed Destinies) - ONC2024

Chapter 10 - Your Future Queen

Zaen clenched and unclenched his fist in the running flow of warm water pouring from his bathroom tap, rinsing the blood off his hand. Damned Emmed had a hard fucking head. Still, Zaen's dragon-born nanites, the heritage passed on from his mother, easily healed the physical injury. While his nerves still remembered the pain of impact and his knuckles splitting, his skin was whole again.

He shut off the water and dried his hands. What the sharding fuck was he going to do about Emmed? Had the o-depped fuckwit even considered what would happen after Karzen and the conspirators were dealt with? If he was holding that much rage inside, letting it explode over a completely innocent woman, what was Emmed going to do when he no longer had a target? When had his best friend fallen so deep into savagery?

An image of Caeryssa—bruised and scared, but still fighting—brought a reluctant smile. His little hellion was a kitten who thought she was her much larger wild cousin, the sabercat that hunted prey significantly larger than itself through the jungles of Penates southern continent, a hissing, spitting soft little blue Venus that was far too sexy for her own good. Damn, but he liked her fiery spirit and loyalty. His cock jerked every time she sassed him or glared at him from those gorgeous, stormy eyes. As much as he'd hated the marks of violence on her flesh, holding her velvety skin was a sensation he wasn't going to forget anytime soon. His palm tingled at the remembered firm curve of her ass under his hand when he'd carried her through the rainforest.

He sighed.

And what kind of chode was he to be remembering that when she'd just been assaulted? Especially when he'd terrorized and choked her before that? His jaw flexed. Still, for both their sakes, he'd had to get that information from her. But if he could avoid crushing her spirit in the process, he'd have some chance of—

Cutting himself off, Zaen strode to his closet, tugging it open. He had to stop fantasizing about her and have some bloody patience. She'd need time to adjust to her new circumstances, for the bond to convince her to find any interest in him as a man. Particularly after Emmed's attack. For now, it was way too soon to entertain anything beyond getting justice for his mother and sister.

He stared, almost blindly at his clothes as he recalled Caeryssa's curvaceous blue form contrasting with the stark white of her bra and panties, before blinking and focusing. Get it together, Zaen. He scowled at the tidy rows of shirts, trousers, vests, jackets, and shipsuits.

Shards.

Everything of his would be enormous on her.

He could and would send for her clothes, but what to give her in the meantime? No way did he want anyone else seeing her in the torn shipsuit that revealed just enough to tantalize. She was his mate, damn them, and the future Queen, future Essaru of Penates. He snorted, sure she hadn't realized that yet. His little hellion was so far from an elite chaser, it was laughable to compare them. Most women would be all over him. Not her, and damned if that didn't make her all the more desirable.

"Mira, do we have anything in ship stores that will fit the woman in the pilot's cabin?"

"Yes. Calculations indicate trousers and briefs for Engineering Second Mate Trey would be acceptable if the woman rolled up the extra leg length, however shipsuits in stock for his size are insufficient in the chest."

"That's fine, Mira. I'll take care of covering the top part of her. Have two sets of new trousers, briefs, and socks sent to my cabin."

"Yes, Captain."

Zaen withdrew two light silver workout shirts and two white, long-sleeved tunics from his drawer and closet. They'd be far too large on her, but she'd have to make do until he could get her proper attire. He sure as stars wasn't taking his soulmate off his ship with all her lovely assets on display. Palace gossip would already be fierce with her being the daughter of his enemy. She didn't need their warriors, nobles, and guards lusting after their future queen.