think anyone involved will like it," Tarn said grimly.
"At this point I'm willing to try anything. What is it?" Viktor asked as the doors behind them burst open.
Everyone looked up at the intrusion. A few snorts of derision followed when the intruder turned out to be S'rea.
"Remove her," someone ordered.
S'rea shoved aside the Lyrissian who attempted to carry out the order. She strode forward and stopped in front of them. "He is my mate," she said.
"Who is?"
"He is," she said, and thrust her finger at Viktor. "The U-man is my mate."
"That was going to be my suggestion," Tarn said quietly.
"He was defending his female," S'rea continued. "He was defending me."
"And he caused critical injuries to Karo?" the short one asked. He cast a dubious glance at Viktor.
"No. I did," she said.
Outrage rippled around the table at that admission.
"Where does it say that a female cannot help her mate defend herself?" she demanded. "Where?"
No one seemed to have a definitive answer for this question, so it was put aside for more important ones.
"When did you mate?"
Viktor sat there quietly, intent on letting S'rea answer the questions. After all, she seemed to be the one who had worked it all out. He didn't want to ruin her plans.
"On the U-man ship, Callisto," she said without missing a beat. "He made an agreeable offer and I accepted."
Viktor raised an eyebrow at that. She had neglected to mention that he had never technically made an offer and that she had then injured him.
"Did you know about this?" they demanded of Tarn.
Tarn shook his head and looked as bewildered as the rest of them. He was not a fool. If he appeared to have known, then he would be accused of orchestrating it all to win favor at the negotiations.
"Do you have anything to say about it?" the chairperson at the head of the table asked.
"Just one thing," Tarn said, and sat up. He looked first to his daughter and then to Viktor before he said, "Prove it."
"What?" they asked in unison.
"Prove that you have mated," said Tarn.
"How?" Viktor asked.
Tarn shrugged. "How do you think?"
"I'm not doing that in front of you," Viktor growled.
"Then my daughter lies," Tarn said calmly. "She has no mate. The U-man should be punished. They both should be."
"You would sentence your own daughter to death?" the chairperson asked in disbelief.
Death? Viktor was reeling. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from Tarn. He also couldn't believe that a society would condemn people to death for defending themselves from rape.
Viktor's chair scraped the floor as he pushed it back. The room fell silent and watched. Viktor slowly got to his feet and approached S'rea. He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but hoped it would avoid at least one death.
S'rea held herself ramrod straight. The tension in her muscles told him she was resisting the urge to punch him in the face. When she didn't give in to that, he reached for her veil and lifted it from her head and shoulders. Removing it revealed the ugly marks on her neck. He heard a few murmurs from those assembled and knew they saw it as well.
Viktor gently placed his hands on S'rea's forearms and stared into her black eyes. His left eyebrow rose slightly, as if asking her permission. She closed her eyes and nodded.
"You people are fucked up," he told them in Common before he leaned over and sank his teeth into her neck, just below where the band had been. Well, he tried to. The ridges that protected the side of her neck got in the way and he thought he had chipped a tooth.
What he really wanted to do was kiss her, so he changed tact and kissed the ridge. He slowly made his way up her neck, eliciting a gasp when he brushed her injury. "Sorry," he murmured, but resumed his course. He followed her ridges to where they ended at her jaw, then her chin. He finished by brushing his lips lightly across hers.
When he finally pulled back, he couldn't help but smile at what he saw. S'rea's eyes were still closed, but her
"At this point I'm willing to try anything. What is it?" Viktor asked as the doors behind them burst open.
Everyone looked up at the intrusion. A few snorts of derision followed when the intruder turned out to be S'rea.
"Remove her," someone ordered.
S'rea shoved aside the Lyrissian who attempted to carry out the order. She strode forward and stopped in front of them. "He is my mate," she said.
"Who is?"
"He is," she said, and thrust her finger at Viktor. "The U-man is my mate."
"That was going to be my suggestion," Tarn said quietly.
"He was defending his female," S'rea continued. "He was defending me."
"And he caused critical injuries to Karo?" the short one asked. He cast a dubious glance at Viktor.
"No. I did," she said.
Outrage rippled around the table at that admission.
"Where does it say that a female cannot help her mate defend herself?" she demanded. "Where?"
No one seemed to have a definitive answer for this question, so it was put aside for more important ones.
"When did you mate?"
Viktor sat there quietly, intent on letting S'rea answer the questions. After all, she seemed to be the one who had worked it all out. He didn't want to ruin her plans.
"On the U-man ship, Callisto," she said without missing a beat. "He made an agreeable offer and I accepted."
Viktor raised an eyebrow at that. She had neglected to mention that he had never technically made an offer and that she had then injured him.
"Did you know about this?" they demanded of Tarn.
Tarn shook his head and looked as bewildered as the rest of them. He was not a fool. If he appeared to have known, then he would be accused of orchestrating it all to win favor at the negotiations.
"Do you have anything to say about it?" the chairperson at the head of the table asked.
"Just one thing," Tarn said, and sat up. He looked first to his daughter and then to Viktor before he said, "Prove it."
"What?" they asked in unison.
"Prove that you have mated," said Tarn.
"How?" Viktor asked.
Tarn shrugged. "How do you think?"
"I'm not doing that in front of you," Viktor growled.
"Then my daughter lies," Tarn said calmly. "She has no mate. The U-man should be punished. They both should be."
"You would sentence your own daughter to death?" the chairperson asked in disbelief.
Death? Viktor was reeling. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from Tarn. He also couldn't believe that a society would condemn people to death for defending themselves from rape.
Viktor's chair scraped the floor as he pushed it back. The room fell silent and watched. Viktor slowly got to his feet and approached S'rea. He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but hoped it would avoid at least one death.
S'rea held herself ramrod straight. The tension in her muscles told him she was resisting the urge to punch him in the face. When she didn't give in to that, he reached for her veil and lifted it from her head and shoulders. Removing it revealed the ugly marks on her neck. He heard a few murmurs from those assembled and knew they saw it as well.
Viktor gently placed his hands on S'rea's forearms and stared into her black eyes. His left eyebrow rose slightly, as if asking her permission. She closed her eyes and nodded.
"You people are fucked up," he told them in Common before he leaned over and sank his teeth into her neck, just below where the band had been. Well, he tried to. The ridges that protected the side of her neck got in the way and he thought he had chipped a tooth.
What he really wanted to do was kiss her, so he changed tact and kissed the ridge. He slowly made his way up her neck, eliciting a gasp when he brushed her injury. "Sorry," he murmured, but resumed his course. He followed her ridges to where they ended at her jaw, then her chin. He finished by brushing his lips lightly across hers.
When he finally pulled back, he couldn't help but smile at what he saw. S'rea's eyes were still closed, but her
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