Aleksi looked up from the table where he satwith Serge and Pyotr watching Sahar’s entrance.This was the firsttime she’d entered the hall since the feast celebrating upon theirreturn, and the first time he had seen her since their argument inthe treehouse that same night.The red, one-shouldered gown shewore with a red shawl draped over her shoulders skimmed curves heknew intimately.Her black mass of curls, set high atop her headwith ruby-encrusted combs, showed off the proud, elegant line ofher neck.Aleksi’s wasn’t the only male, or female’s, head to turnand watch the regal tigress take her seat, but he’d wager thehundred gold pieces her father had given him that he was the onlyone to notice the hollows beneath her eyes, or that her tawny skinwas a shade paler than usual.Well, he amended as her mother cast alingering eye over her daughter, perhaps not the only one.
“Your princess is looking rather well forhaving been ill these past three days,” Pyotr said.
“Hmmph.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”Sergeasked.
“It means that she’s not my princess.”
“No?”Serge quirked a brow.He glanced fromAleksi to Sahar and back again.“Then why does she watch you asintently as you watch her?”
Because she and I shared a passion thatseared us both to the bone.Because she may be carrying my babe inher belly even now.Because she may soon be my wife and does notwish to be.
“Because we have become used to watching outfor each other,” Aleksi said.“Our lives depended on each other fora time and it’s a hard habit to break.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What,” he turned on his friends with asnarl, “is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” Serge said, sitting back with bothhands up.
“It means,” Pyotr puffed his thick chest outand sat forward, “that you have been a morose bastard for the pastthree days, the same three days the princess took to her chambers.It means neither of us is stupid.We can add one,” he eyed Aleksias he held up an index finger, “and one,” he glanced at Sahar andheld up his other index finger, “and come up with,” he pressed hisfingers together to form a single column, “two.”
Half expecting Pyotr to say three, Aleksi letout the breath he’d been holding with a snort.“Do you truly thinka princess would consort with a bastard?”
Before they could answer, Munir walked overand sat down across from Aleksi.“Serge, Pyotr,” he greeted themeach with a nod.“Aleksi.”
“Munir,” they all said at once and laughed.“I have a favor to ask of you,” Munir said to Aleksi.“You saved mylife.If it were not for you, I would not be getting married, so, Iwould like for you to stand by my side along with Asim at mywedding a fortnight from tomorrow.”
Aleksi liked Munir, and he respected him.Hewasn’t insensitive to Munir’s request.A fortnight was not too longa time away, and if Sahar was pregnant, he would still be hereplanning his own wedding.Besides, he had already decided he wouldstay to stand and fight by King Asad’s side if the Ox wassuccessful in starting his war.A war Aleksi had had a hand inprovoking and intended to have a hand in preventing.If that wasn’tpossible, then he’d help them win.King Asad had welcomed Aleksi’sdecision yesterday.
“I’d be honored,” Aleksi told Munir.
They stood and shook on it.
“You two are invited as well,” Munir toldSerge and Pyotr.“I hear Anya is planning a feast to surpass allfeasts.”
“Then we’ll be there,” Pyotr said, slappinghis barrel of a belly, which had grown a stone or more since Anya’ssacks of food had been delivered daily.“Especially since King Asadhas generously offered to keep stabling us and our horses untilAleksi finishes his business here, whatever that may entail.”
Munir glanced at Aleksi and then quicklylooked away.He knew.He knew exactly what it was that Aleksi wasstill doing here, what he was waiting for.Aleksi glanced over atHalah, as close to Sahar as a sister, and then back at Munir, whogave a quick, unapologetic shrug.
“Tell me what I need to do and where I needto be when,” Aleksi told Munir.
“I will,” Munir said.He glanced at Halah,who was watching them.“I should go take my seat beside mybetrothed.She’ll be pleased you accepted.”
Pyotr and Serge were eyeing Aleksiexpectantly, waiting, he guessed, for more of an explanation whathis business here entailed, but Aleksi ignored them.They may havebeen his best and oldest of friends, but he wasn’t going to tellthem about what happened between him and his tigress.Too manypeople knew already.Not that he was embarrassed or ashamed, butshe would be.
The first course of greens and fish soup wasbeing served when Anastasia made her appearance on the arm of thecorpulent prince into which she had sunk her royal teeth.Why theywere still here Aleksi didn’t know.The prince was the second sonof a kingdom three days west of this city who should’ve returnedweeks ago, with or without Anastasia, who slid a sideways glance atAleksi as she flounced by.Aleksi shook his head.He had moreimportant things to worry about than his husband-hunting bitch of ahalf-sister.
One of those things was the way Sahar waslooking at Aleksi with none of her usual humor or fire, but with asolemn expression he had never seen before.It hit him like a punchto the gut.Gods, she wasn’t pregnant.Her moon flow had come, thatwas why she had taken to her chambers the past three days.
He should’ve felt relief.His life would behis own again.Once Munir’s wedding was over, and the Ox and theWolf dealt with, Aleksi would be free to return to his home andbuild his stables.Find a strong, easy-tempered wife to work andtoil by his side and raise his sons and daughters.He should beelated, ready to celebrate his close escape, but all he wanted todo was rage and howl as he sat there staring at Sahar’s beautiful,somber face.In that moment, it came to him.He didn’t want a wifeand a child by anyone else but her.He wanted their child.
And he’d lost both.
Sahar couldn’t sleep, which had nothing to dowith staying in her rooms the past three days and everything to dowith the look on Aleksi’s face at supper.The way his eyes hadbored into hers and his jaw had clamped tight.The moment he’drealized what she had yet to tell him.
Tired of pacing and fretting, she slipped outher balcony door, climbed down the trellis into the courtyard andup the hand holds into the cedar’s treehouse where Aleksi wassprawled out on a bench, a wineskin in hand.
