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Elias stood his ground until they were toe to toe. “You have been mating with other aliens and eating them. That’s against Council laws.”

For the first time since she’d entered the room, a flash of indecision crossed Princess Isolt’s face. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. We live in complicated times. There are wars happening, old alliances ending, and new factions being formed.”

“What does that have to do with you killing your mates?”

Princess Isolt huffed out an angry breath and stepped away. “It is my father’s orders. We show others we are strong, and our ways are right. We take mates from other races and join with them.”

Elias blinked in surprise. He had not expected her to say that. “They come willingly to your bed? Even though they know what will happen?”

Princess Isolt looked away. “They are not always willing. Most don’t know what’s going on until it’s too late. If you sever a vital artery or two, they bleed out and can’t escape.”

Elias’s stomach turned over. “You’re killing them in the hope of making their populations fearful of you. So, what, you can take them over? You expect them to follow you just as our people do?”

“Fear leads to respect. If we make others scared of us, they will not refuse any of our demands, and we will be victorious.”

“You’re delusional,” Elias said. “I always thought you were insane, ever since that night you took a chunk out of my arm, but this is crazy. It will never work.”

Princess Isolt turned her back, her arms across her chest as she paced. “There is no other option. The king has decreed it. This is the path we must follow.”

Something felt off here. “Retar females are stronger than that. Our female nobles chose to have a king in position for the last three rulers.”

She whirled on him. “Because leaders are targets of assassins. Take out a king, and he’s easy to replace with another puffed-up ego. If a queen should fall...” She shook her head. “That would be too great a loss.”

“Why allow this king to give you orders?”

Princess Isolt glared at him. “I respect my elders. And he’s my father.”

“You don’t agree with him?” Elias thought he heard a sliver of doubt in her voice. “You know this won’t work, but you feel you have to do it because he sired you?”

“The king is never wrong.”

“He is. He gets a lot of things wrong. Few people have forgotten the decree he passed to double agricultural output. It worked for a couple of years until the soils were so badly depleted of nutrients that nothing grew. Millions starved because he wanted more food to export. He murdered millions of people to fuel his coffers.”

Princess Isolt glowered at Elias. “That could not have been foreseen. It was an unfortunate incident.”

“Yes, for the millions of Retars who died. It goes to show that the king, your father, isn’t always right. And he’s wrong about this. This will end in disaster if others find out what you’re doing. You have evidence on your ship. Why keep the bones?”

“He orders it,” Princess Isolt said. “We need to show our loyalty to him. He demands loyalty.”

“He must know what a risk he’s putting you under. You’re traveling the galaxy, killing other aliens, all in the name of some outdated practise that will cause more wars. It’s not going to get others to follow you. It will make them hate you.”

“You think they will follow us if we said we loved them?” Princess Isolt scowled at him. “Is love the solution to everything?”

“It will do more good than taking others against their will and killing them.”

Her expression turned curious as she continued to pace. “Hollow words that can never come true. Love cannot save you from this. You are mine, and you must accept your fate and answer for your crime.”

Elias let out a sigh. “I know. I was wrong to abandon you. I knew of your reputation, and yet I still agreed to be with you. I understand your anger.”

She glanced at him, the curious expression still on her face. “Then you must also understand that I have to punish you.”

“Of course. I accept the punishment.” The fight left Elias. Princess Isolt would see this through, and no amount of debating would do him any good.

“Unless, of course, you are claimed by your true love,” Princess Isolt sneered.

Elias raised his head. “You still use that old law?”

“Of course, we use all the old laws. It is how we operate our society so successfully. You know how it works. Unless you are claimed by a mate, I have permission to take you, use you as I see fit, and then devour you.”