Chapter 29
The welcome was warm on Vartik, as it always was. They managed to land on the hidden planet without any additional encounters, and as Cal led Gemma through the palace complex, he wanted to breathe a sigh of relief.
But he couldn’t. Not just yet. He hadn’t planned on returning with a mate in tow, and his life on Vartik was about to become vastly different. Not to mention the reputation he’d cemented after centuries of flitting affairs.
To say he was a ladies’ man was the mildest way to state it, and the planetary press was seldom so restrained. He recalled one headline calling him “Royal Romeo” and detailing the love nest he’d kept secreted in the central city. He’d gotten his revenge on the landlord soon after, but that was but one example.
Cal was suddenly worried about what Gemma would think when she learned about his reputation. He knew he had no chance of hiding it from her. That woman could ferret out anything from the tiniest amount of intel you could imagine.
Cal realized his life as a spy was over. He might be able to keep his secrets from everyone else, but not his wife. But as this comprehension dawned over him, he realized that he was strangely pleased.
He would not have to hide his life from every individual in the universe. There was one with which he could share absolutely everything.
His mate was walking the corridors of the palace with wide eyes. Of course, she’d never seen anything like the royal compound in her sheltered life. She’d been trapped in the hole they’d called RPS for fifteen years, and before that, she’d been a lonely child. The life she was living now was a whole new world compared to what she’d known before.
They approached the towering doors of the audience room and Cal tightened his hold on Gemma’s waist. Everything was about to change.
“Time to meet the family,” he murmured as the massive doors were drawn open.
The dais held two thrones, but only one was currently occupied. The moment Cal walked in the door, Marek was leaping up from his seat and charging toward him.
Cal shook his head.My brother has all the patience of a starving wolf.
“This is her?” he asked, cocking his head at Gemma.
“This is Gemmaline. My mate.”
There was a challenge to his words, a challenge his brother heard. Although Marek stiffened for a moment, he waved the words away. “Your mate, and a Guardian.”
Gemma nodded. “Pleased to meet you, Your Majesty.”
Cal rolled his eyes. “You’ll give him a bigger head than he already has.”
Marek smiled, then picked up Gemma’s hand and kissed it. “It’s always a pleasure to meet a beautiful woman.”
A hot rush of jealousy filled him, and unable to control himself, Cal said, “Release her, or you’ll lose that hand and the mouth that touched her.”
Marek laughed and let go of Gemma’s hand. “If I had any doubt that she was your mate, I don’t anymore.” He nodded at Gemma. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you.” Her tone was warm but lightly laced with anxiety.
Cal tightened his hold. “I’d like to show her to our quarters and let her rest. It’s been a rough few days.”
Marek frowned. “We need to debrief.”
“Get Juston for that.”
“I would, except I just got word that he’s left.”
“What?” Cal was shocked. They’d just landed, and it had taken maybe twenty minutes to walk across the compound to the audience chamber.
“He took off right after you left the ship. Told Zelup he had unfinished business on Mars.”
“Shit,” Cal growled.
“Care to explain?”
Cal shrugged. “Guess I’ll have to, but no need to keep Gemma standing around while we talk. It could take hours.” He looked around the room. “Where’s Jaz? Could she spend some time with Gemma while we chat?”
