back in a braid, she entered her father’s inner sanctum. “You requested my presence, Father?” She wished she could get away from him. She was desperate to flee from him, but there was no hope. There was never hope for her because there was nowhere for her. No matter where she went, she would always be found, and the thoughts of what would happen when brought back were enough to make her remain.
“Good, this time you remembered to pull your hair back.” His hands clasped behind his back and a feral smile formed on his face. He liked to see the damage he did to her. He appreciated seeing the lost lobe on her delicate ear. “You should thank me, daughter. I have finally found someone who is willing to take you to wife.” He rocked back and forth on his heels as he smiled. “He is a good friend of mine.” He didn’t even know the lord in question, but that was beside the point. “So keep that in mind when you decide to run your smart mouth.”
“Thank you, Father,” she whispered in horror. Moon and stars, he was going to wed her to a monster. “If you feel I am worthy for your friend, I am happy to be of service, Father.”
“Good, good.” He walked around. “You will be ready for travel in three days. You, my dear, are going to wed a Vampire Lord.” Without waiting to hear a reply, he simply moved from the room and stalked out, making sure she knew she was worth less than the fly on the wall.
As soon as she was certain she was alone, she raced to the bathroom and lost all the contents of her stomach. Tears falling from her eyes, she shook her head. “Oh god, he’s giving me to someone that he knows. At least with the devil I live with now I know what to expect.” How long into her marriage would it be before the Vampire snapped her neck as her father had done her mother?
Rising on shaky legs, she nodded, set her dress to rights, and moved toward her bedroom to pack for her death.
Chapter Three
Their arrival at the spaceport had been a celebration. Music played and vendors peddled their wares. Xandra had been granted permission to move through the crowds with Diego, and as she looked at the things for sale in venders’ stalls, she was blissfully unaware of the people watching her, of the men, women, and children all giving her looks as if she were the very devil herself.
Lightly, she touched a moonstone tear drop and smiled. “You have beautiful merchandise. Thank you for allowing me to see it.” She nodded to the man and moved on to another stall and then another. She knew she would need to leave the small area soon to prepare for the first meeting with her betrothed, but in all truth she didn’t want to meet him. She wanted to put it off for all time, if only she could.
Stepping up to the vendor as the woman left the table, Lorn looked to what she’d touched and, moments later, had it in his pocket before he rejoined his commanding officer as they trailed behind her. Passing the package over, he lifted a brow. “An unusual woman.”
Glancing to his second, Andries grunted slightly. “Indeed,” he murmured. The crowds were splitting for them as they approached and then closing behind them. Thankfully they were far enough back from her that she had no idea she was being followed. Although he didn’t really worry about her seeing them, the man that was with her concerned him. He was much too observant for the mere assistant that Andries had been assured he was.
For another half hour they followed her through the market before his assistant joined them. “They are ready, my lord,” the smaller man said in a respectful tone.
Why he had to have an assistant he’d never know, but at times like this Andries appreciated the man. It saved him from any unnecessary contact with the Alliance. “Approach the lady in five minutes and let her know that her presence is now required and ensure she arrives there in one piece,” he ordered. Stopping, he let her and her “assistant” move out
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