DangerouslyHis by A.M. Griffin Read Free Book Online Page A

and her lavender eyes looked
alive.
    “Who were you expecting?” Eva asked.
    “Um, Taio.”
    Eva nodded. “I’m sure he’ll be around shortly. He just
returned from Volrais. He’s still trying to get himself organized.” Then she
frowned. “I wasn’t expecting you two for a couple more days. Is something the
matter?”
    “No,” Saia said quickly. “We wanted to come early to help.”
    Eva raised a brow. “Help? You mean physically help?
Hanging decorations, moving chairs…that sort of help?”
    Saia shrugged. “Yes, with anything you need us to do.”
    Eva grabbed Saia’s hand and led her to where Fainia sat. “I
was joking. You two have probably never moved a chair in your lives. Spill it,
what’s the matter? Did Olo find out that Taio plans to meet with Ranuit Pi?”
    “No, he didn’t,” Fainia said. “We had nervous energy and
wanted to ensure everything was going as planned.”
    “Hmmm,” Eva said, her gaze searching up and down Saia’s
body. “Something is off with this situation.”
    “Eva, please,” Fainia offered. “You are always on high
alert. Relax.”
    “I’ve got so many alarm bells sounding in my head right
now,” Eva said. “I can’t ignore my instincts. They’ve saved me more than once.”
    Instinct was indeed something Eva had heavily relied on all
of her life. On Earth, she had been a lethally trained martial artist. When
Taio rescued her from Xenaris’ slave auction block, Eva had been in the middle
of a fight against two Tresdonians, a species whose short, thick bodies gave
them the ability to withstand the hardest of blows. But it wasn’t her fight with
the Tresdonians that had given her a dangerous reputation.
    It was the fact she’d singlehandedly gone up against three
of Sonis’ royal guards—killing one.
    Now Taio let Eva train females, which was unheard of in
their culture. And to prove that he saw her as a warrior, he had even given her
a jango , a fighting sword warriors of both Sonis and Drazlan trained
with.
    Saia sat on the bed next to Fainia and Josanis. When she
did, he held out his arms and she picked him up and kissed him. Although he was
only one and a half birth cycles, he was a heavy child and her arms strained to
hold him. He had his parents’ black hair, with one blue eye inherited from Eva,
and one lavender, from Taio.
    “So? Neither of you will tell me what’s going on? Okay. I
see,” Eva finished when no one replied. “Ship! I need you.”
    Silence.
    Eva narrowed her gaze on them. “You won’t tell me what’s
really going on and nosy Ship isn’t anywhere to be found. How convenient.”
    “I’m sure Ship has more important things to do besides
hanging around us,” Fainia said. “Besides, we have other things to discuss. Has
Taio decided how he’s going to get Ranuit Pi alone? Does he know what terms
he’ll set?” She shifted to swing her legs over the edge of the bed. “Maybe I
should go speak with Taio myself.”
    “Queen Xochis—”
    “Eva, I have asked you to call me ‘Mother’.” Fainia raised
her chin. “I’ll not listen to a word you have to say if you address me as
‘Queen’ again. Unlike my mate, I don’t believe my children should call me by a
title.”
    Eva blushed and shuffled her feet. “Umm…”
    Seeing Eva’s discomfort, Fainia added, “You may call me
‘Mother’ or ‘Fainia’. But not ‘Queen’. Never that name.”
    This wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation,
with Eva always uncomfortable about the request. Taio had explained to them
that Eva had grown up without parents and was often unsure how to behave around
Fainia, but despite knowing that, their mother seemed to press relentlessly,
trying to break down Eva’s barriers.
    Eva nodded. “Taio and Rasha are meeting with the Zarcarians
today to complete the paperwork for their settlement rights on the northern
border of the Singha Ocean. I’m sure that will take up most of the morning.”
    “I understand,” Fainia said.