Pride made her smooth the confusion from her face. She dipped into a curtsy and somehow made it out of his chamber on wobbly legs, heart rapping against the inside of her ribcage like knuckles on a door.
She held her head high and walked away, down the corridor, blind to the beings she passed. Thoughts broke apart and came
together in different arrangements, like pieces of a puzzle, but none fit.
What had just happened? Was Seke saying good-bye?
Really? After what they’d shared?
Surely not.
And yet, no other answer seemed to fit. She found her way to her chamber, which she hadn’t been in for four planet rotations. The once-familiar room seemed so different now.
No, she was different.
Seke had changed her.
And...left her? Vecking left her? After what they’d been through? The things he’d done to her?
A great trembling started in her core and moved through her body. Like an earthquake, splitting her open, sending cracks and fissures in all directions. She pulled her robes around her more tightly and clamped her teeth together to keep them from chattering.
This couldn’t be.
She felt like a vecking fool. An idiotic, vecking fool.
Falling on the bed, she opened her mouth to wail, but no sound came out. No tears, nothing.
She was broken beyond repair.
Chapter Seven
Lamira marched straight to the loading dock and onto one of Zander’s airships, which seemed to be in preparation for flight. She marched past the workers and guards, plopped down in a seat in the cockpit, and strapped herself in. Wherever the vecking ship was headed, she was going, too. So long as it was away from Zander.
Seke stepped on, stooping to fit his huge body through the frame of the door. He paused when he saw her, then continued, seating himself in the pilot’s seat. He spoke in a low voice into the communication device on his cuff. ”Are you aware your mate is buckled into my airship?”
She heard Zander swear then nothing more.
Seke didn’t turn to look at her, focusing on activating all the screens and controls on his ship for the flight.
A few moments later, Zander stormed onto the ship, followed closely by Daneth, his physician.
Her mate had never looked more crazed. She’d seen him angry, and she’d seen him troubled. Usually, he held himself with great reserve, but the way he dashed onto the ship, eyes wide and barely focusing was entirely new. “What are you doing?”
She folded her arms over her chest. “I’m leaving. Getting away from you.”
“I cannot allow that,” Daneth spoke up immediately. The doctor’s main focus was about monitoring her and the young’s health.
“Shut up,” Zander barked at Daneth. He stomped over to her and unfastened her harness. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Oh, really?” She surged to her feet, hands on her hips. “I thought you just gave me my freedom? Or was that all excrement?”
Zander’s muscled chest moved with heavy breaths, and he slammed his palm against the ship wall, rattling the entire panel. “Where are you going?” he bellowed.
Obviously, his brain had short-circuited, because she’d already told him that. She had to admit, seeing him so distressed brought a small measure of satisfaction.
“Did you think you could just breed me and set me aside?” she demanded. “Did you think I’d give you your young and just sail happily away? You’re a vecking idiot, if that’s what you thought!” Her voice had risen to near hysterics, and Daneth stepped forward, waving his palms as if to calm her down.
“She’s showing signs of severe stress.”