Kate and the Kraken by Honey Phillips
Chapter Eighteen
As soon as they were outside U’rsul’s room, Kate saw a gaggle of females rush back through the doors. A’tai snorted.
“Her second audience, no doubt ready to be shocked and horrified by her ungrateful son.”
“Do you really think she’s going to—”
“Regale them with a story of how rudely I treated her? Of course.”
He led her through another door and into a corridor lined with windows overlooking the sea. Only a few people were in sight, and her shoulders finally started to relax.
“So what did you think of my mother’s little performance?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Her shock at your presence. The carefully staged scene—she is never alone unless she chooses to be. She started setting that up as soon as we got off the boat.”
“I don’t think she likes me very much,” she said, a little regretfully. She had held out a distant hope that his mother wouldn’t be as bad as she had imagined.
He shrugged. “I don’t think she likes me very much either. I’m not sure she really likes anyone, although she is more inclined to pretend with others.”
“What about your father? Did she like him?”
“I honestly don’t know. He was devoted to her, waiting on her hand and foot. It was one of the reasons why I was determined not to become involved with a female.”
“I think it’s a little too late for that now,” she said dryly. “Do you regret it?”
He immediately halted, pressing her against the wall and looming over her. “You are well aware that I do not. And the fact that I was so cautious meant that I was waiting for you when you came to me.”
The familiar pulse of arousal began low in her stomach, but all he did was drop a brief kiss on her lips, before resuming their walk.
He shook his head, obviously still thinking about his parents’ relationship. “But even though I have my doubts about the two of them, they certainly spent a lot of time together. And she was… different when he was around.”
“Perhaps she loved him just as much,” Kate said, trying to be fair.
“Perhaps.”
He didn’t sound convinced, but they had reached another set of doors at the end of the corridor and he dropped the subject. He waved his hand over a hidden panel and the doors unlocked, the high-tech lock at odds with the ancient stonework. Once inside, he paused in a circular entry hall with an inlaid marble floor and a delicate metal staircase curving gracefully up one wall. Arches opened from the hall into the surrounding rooms.
“These are our quarters. The living room and dining room are on this level. My study and our bedroom above. Guest rooms on the top floor.” He hesitated. “You are welcome to change anything you do not like, but I was wondering if you would like a laboratory.”
“How long are we going to be here?”
He sighed. “I don’t really know. I need to spread the word about the nutrient issue, and attend some Council meetings. We will probably need to attend some social events as well.”
Her heart sank. She had hoped this was to be a short visit, but she suspected it was going to stretch out. “In that case, probably.”
“I’ll see about having one of the guest rooms converted.” A Mafanan male came gliding into the room as he finished speaking. “Ah, Uauna. I have a project for you.”
“Yes, sire.”
“This is my bond mate, Lady Kate.”
Uauna bowed without batting an eye. “I am very pleased to meet you, Lady Kate.”
“She is a scientist, and she will need a laboratory while we are here. I thought perhaps the front guest room.”
“Of course, sire. Do you have a list of requirements, Lady Kate?”
“Contact Warden Pulata,” A’tai said before she could answer. “He equipped her lab on Ataian so he can tell you what is needed.”
“Yes sire. Is there anything else you require? I have a light meal waiting in the dining room.”
“Thank you, Uauna. That will be all for now.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Kate said.
Uauna bowed and whisked himself out of the room, and she turned to glare at A’tai. “You know I am quite capable of talking for myself.”
“I’m sorry, amali. I just wanted to get rid of him so I could have you to myself.”
Her annoyance vanished as he lifted her in his arms and started kissing her. By the time he raised his head, his skin was glimmering gold and her own body was humming with arousal.
“Are you hungry?” he growled.
Her stomach still felt uneasy, but she wouldn’t have cared if she was starving when he looked at her like that. “Not for food.”
“Good.” He lifted her into his arms and carried her up the elaborate staircase and into the bedroom.
A’tai carefully adjustedthe bedroom curtains so that the Sisters’ low afternoon rays would not disturb his sleeping mate. As much as he hated to do it, he had decided that it would be better to confront his mother now and find out exactly what she was scheming this time. He pulled on a formal robe and glided softly out of the room.
Uauna appeared as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “Sire, your mother has—”
“Sent numerous messages?”
Uauna nodded, and A’tai sighed.
“Don’t worry. I’m going to see her now. My mate is sleeping, but if she awakens before I return, please tell her that I will be back shortly.”
“Yes sire. I will also have another meal ready. I noticed that you did not have a chance to partake. No doubt you had other matters to attend to.”
Uauna’s face was as bland as ever, but A’tai thought there was a twinkle in his eye. He laughed.
“You are correct. Please make sure that there is something available for Lady Kate if she is hungry. She likes fruit, and she prefers cooked fish.”
“Yes, sire. I took the liberty of contacting nurse Simea to ascertain her preferences.”
“You are as efficient as ever, Uauna. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sire. And may I be so forward as to offer my congratulations? You have been alone for a long time.”
“My mate was worth waiting for.”
“Yes, sire. The House will celebrate your happiness.”
A’tai went on his way, encouraged by his valet’s sincere congratulations. His mother was nowhere near as receptive.
“You cannot possibly be serious about this.” U’rsul was so agitated that she was actually pacing back and forth. “A little indulgence with an offworlder female isn’t unexpected. Even your father wasn’t immune to their charms, especially if they were pretty and helpless, but—”
“Wait. What did you just say about Father?”
“You didn’t know that he occasionally indulged himself elsewhere?”
He had the oddest sensation that the room was spinning. His father, the one who had always appeared so completely devoted to his mother, had not been faithful to her?
“You allowed this?”
Pain flashed across her face so quickly that he could almost convince himself he hadn’t seen it. “I did not have a choice. I decided to be grateful that he never indulged with a Mafanan female.”
He had no idea what to say. He couldn’t even imagine the possibility of desiring a female other than his Kate.
“But as I was saying,” his mother continued. “You do not bond with an offworlder. If you absolutely insist on keeping her, you can install her as your concubine, but you must choose a formal mate from another House.”
“Don’t you think this theoretical female from another House would object to that?”
She shrugged. “Not if she was brought up correctly. And as soon as she provides us with an heir, she would be free to do the same.”
“No female of mine will ever stray!” he roared.
“You are really behaving in the most primitive fashion. The sooner you put this female aside, the better.”
“Mother, I’m going to say this one more time. I have chosen Kate and she has chosen me. We are bonded and there is absolutely nothing you can say or do which is going to change that.”
She gave him a speculative look, and he dreaded to think what was going through her mind.
“If you try to interfere between us—in any way—I will have you removed from this palace and banished to the northern territories.”
“You would not!”
Despite her outrage, she actually looked uncertain. Good.
“I assure you that I would.” Although he would vastly prefer not to do so, if she did anything to hurt Kate, he wouldn’t hesitate.
Her martyred expression reappeared. “Then you will need to talk to Lord F’tonu tonight and find some way to convince him that choosing an offworlder female over his daughter is not the greatest of insults.”
She had a point, but…
“You were the one who approached him, not me.”
She lifted a graceful shoulder. “But I was approaching him on behalf of the House.”
“Fine,” he sighed. “I will talk to him.”
“Good. And if there’s any chance of preserving the trade connection to Honara, it would be to our advantage.”
He couldn’t help but admire how quickly she switched from outraged female to ruthless businessperson.
“Agreed. Now, if that is all, I will see you tonight.”
“If you are bringing your female, I assume you have arranged for appropriate clothing?”
When he hesitated, she sighed. “I will send something. We do not want her disgracing the House.”
“She could be clothed in rags and she would still not disgrace the House,” he growled.
For the briefest moment, her face softened and she nodded.
He bowed and turned to leave. He was almost at the door when he decided he had to know.
“Did you do it, mother? Find someone to occupy your time after I was born?”
He half expected her to be outraged by the question, but after a long silence, she simply shook her head. “No. I loved him.”
