I think Chet confused fairies and pirates, but I wasn’t complaining.
Black metal.
Sharp edges.
Dark jewels.
The pirate look suited him far too well. Maybe he was a bad fairy. A very bad, very naughty, very sexy royal fae. Like Maleficent, if Maleficent had been a seven-foot alien Warlord built like a tank and constantly on the verge of punching someone.
He looked absolutely miserable.
His golden eyes found mine instantly.
The intensity of that gaze made heat rush through me, wings or no wings. I saw the hunger there. The tension coiled in his shoulders. The barely restrained possessiveness in the way he watched the other males moving near me.
He didn't want to dance with anyone else. He didn't want to be here at all. But he was doing it anyway.
For the show. For the other warriors. Because I refused to break my contract and forfeit the money Chet had promised me. That money was my guarantee. My safety net. My future and my freedom all rolled into one. And even though I was pretty sure I was falling in love with Egon, and him with me, I couldn’t make myself give it up.
"First dance!" Chet called brightly. "Contestant Number One with Warlord Egon! Everyone else, check your dance cards!"
I looked down at the ridiculous device strapped to my wrist. It looked like a smartwatch the size of a hockey puck, displaying a rotation list.
First up for me:
Vrax – Prillon Prime
A shadow fell over me. I looked up. And up. And up.
Vrax was enormous—even compared to the other alien males in the room. His skin held a faint golden hue, his hair a bright metallic blond that matched the strange yellow-gold of his eyes. They reminded me of a cat’s.
He looked like a walking bar of gold bullion wearing a slightly too-tight tuxedo.
"You are the human female Warlord Egon stole from the wedding?" he asked politely. "The bride?"
I blinked.
"How do you know about that?"
"I live at the Interstellar Brides Processing Center." His tone was matter-of-fact. "We have access to human social media."
Oh my God. Even the aliens were watching the internet. We were doomed as a species.
"Yes," I admitted with a helpless laugh. "That was me. I'm Tori."
"I am Vrax." He extended his hand as the music shifted. "Shall we dance?"
I accepted his hand. The moment he led me toward the dance floor, I felt it.
Egon's gaze.
Burning straight into my back.
Vrax turned out to be an excellent dancer. Surprisingly light on his feet for someone who looked like he could bench-press a truck. He kept a respectful distance, guiding me easily through the movements.
"The Warlord watches you," he observed quietly.
My heart skipped. I didn't look toward Egon. Instead, I forced my attention back to my partner.
