An eternity.
Chapter Eighteen
“Who is my client this evening?”
Khiva was already in the mating room and Valerie watched him prep for the evening from the doorway. Twilight hours were spreading over Everton and Khiva expected his client within the next half hour.
Valerie didn’t answer right away. Soon, she would make her way to the second floor of Madame Allegria’s, where Dravka’s mating room resided, as was her routine every night, checking all the floors. Madame Allegria was currently off Everton, gone to Genesis, the largest of the New Earth colonies, for the remainder of the week. The relief that Khiva felt at that knowledge was dizzying.
When Valerie didn’t answer right away, Khiva turned to look at her after finishing with the fire.
It was Valerie’s serious expression that had Khiva straightening.
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Khiva,” Valerie said softly. “Allegria…you know how harsh she can be. How controlling. I worry that…”
Valerie trailed off.
“Val?” Khiva questioned, wondering why she was acting so strange that night, or where these words were coming from.
Valerie asked him suddenly, “Do you think I’m just as bad as her, Khiva? Truthfully.”
“As Madame Allegria?” Khiva questioned slowly.
Valerie nodded. “I know you’ve never trusted me, not fully at least.”
Khiva looked past her into the darkened hallway, at the elevator at the very end.
“No,” Khiva said softly. “You are not. How can you ask that? You are trapped by her, just as we are.”
“But I have freedoms you don’t,” she commented softly. “I can come and go as I please.”
“Because you are human, on a human colony. Of course you have more freedoms than we do.”
“Do you…do you think Dravka resents me sometimes because of that?” Valerie asked.
Khiva said carefully, “I think Dravka knows of the limitations placed upon him when it concerns you.”
Valerie bit her lip and nodded, probably sensing that Khiva did not want to speak for Dravka and would say no more of their strange relationship.
Valerie said softly, backing out of the room, “Let me know if you need anything tonight.”
“Valerie,” Khiva called when she turned away. “You never said who my client is.”
Valerie gave him a soft smile, but it struck him as sad. “You’re right, I didn’t. Be careful, Khiva.”
And with that, Valerie closed the door behind her and Khiva’s brows drew down in confusion, before he shook his head.
He didn’t have much time before six, so he quickly bathed and then smoothed oil over his skin, knowing most of it would absorb by the time his client came. Some females didn’t like the feel of it.
Not Evelyn, he suddenly thought and he froze. For over three weeks now, he’d failed miserably at the pact he’d made with himself…the one where he’d told himself he would trynotto think of the dark-haired beauty, who’d smoothed oil down his limbs and torso and back and made him so crazed that he’dneededto mate her right there and then. The human female who made him feel like himself, someone he hadn’t felt like in a long time, who looked at him like he was a male and not a whore. Whose smile made his hearts stutter and his chest clench.
Yes, he might as well have made a pact to stop breathing.
His ears twitched, hearing movement outside his door and he drew in a deep breath, relaxing the tight muscles in his shoulders.
Khiva tilted his head to the side, listening, when the door didn’t immediately open, though he sensed that someone was on the other side.
Briefly, he wondered if she was a new client, but when the door finally opened, revealing a familiar figure with a scent he would never forget, his mind went blank, even as his body responded.
