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“Thanks.” I walk through the doorway and down the corridor until voices reach me through a cracked door up ahead.
I stop outside of it and knock. “It’s Devon.”
Barely before I can take a breath, it’s yanked open and Olivia drags me inside. “Are you okay? Alik didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“I’m fine.”
She scans me from head to toe despite my reassurances. Her forehead wrinkles. “Wait. You don’t look like you’ve been getting it on.”
I snort. “Because I haven’t been. Not yet. If I’m going to be ‘getting it on’ with a prince, I’d like to at least soak in my giant bathing pool, put on a nice dress, and primp a little. Make it feel a bit more like a date than a transaction.”
Janik clears his throat. “I will leave you two to have your female discussion in privacy.”
I glance over at him and quickly back to Olivia. God, I completely forgot he was in here with her. She grins and winks at me before walking over to her mate. They kiss and I look away, not wanting to intrude on their personal moment. Olivia whispers to Janik, but it’s too soft for me to hear. Although that’s probably a good thing. Envy rears its ugly head, but right on its heels is a not-so-random thought that that could be Alik and me one day. God, I’m in so much trouble.
Janik kisses Olivia one more time and leaves us alone. She snags my hand and tugs me over to the sofa to sit.
“Tell me what happened after I left.” She nearly bounces in place.
“Nothing other than me doing a lot of talking.”
“I still can’t believe he said your name. Does he ever say anything else?”
Other than pretty, no, but I want to keep that between us. “He grunts on occasion, which I usually take for yes.”
She sinks back into the cushion. “Do you think he remembers who he is?”
“I think he’s trying.” I can’t say for sure, but there are times when Alik gets this look of concentration on his face. Like the memories are right there, he’s just having trouble accessing them. I could be completely wrong though.
“When are you planning on going back down there to…you know?”
“Tomorrow. But I need to talk to Horek first and make sure the security feed is off. I know you guys want to make I’m safe, but I have zero interest in anyone watching Alik and me. The commander’s going to have to figure something else out.”
Olivia has a look on her face like she’s about to argue, so I hold up my hand. “I’m not budging on that, Liv.”
“Fine. Not like I want people to be voyeurs and get all gross, but I’m also worried.”
I take her hand. “I know, but Alik’s not going to hurt me.”
She squeezes my fingers. “You better be right, because I’d really hate to go through with my threat to murder him. Veroneek would never forgive me.”
“You don’t have to worry since it’s not going to come to that.”
“You’re awfully confident.”
I have to be. “I’ve spent enough time with Alik to know.”
“Why don’t you stay here for tonight? I’ll ask Lindsey and Quinn to come and we can have a sleepover,” Olivia suggests, but I shake my head before she’s done asking.
“I think I’d like to spend some time by myself tonight, if you don’t mind?” I don’t want to have to measure what I say, and if I’m going to get all up in my head, I’d rather be alone when I do it.
“Of course, but if you change your mind, the door’s open, and the girls are just a quick comm away.”
The two of us hug and say our goodbyes. I leave the palace without being stopped by anyone else and somehow manage to make it back to the women’s complex without running across any of our other friends.
Minutes later, I’m locked in my apartment and shedding my clothes on the way into the hygiene room. I lower myself into the warm bathing pool and recline on the shelf seat that juts out in one corner. With my eyes closed, I breathe in the soothing lavender scent of the water and wait for my racing heart to calm.
Chapter 13
