in the mirror, eyeing

s broad shoulders and acc

much effort he put into kee

nse training and years of war had shaped his

r ended. Shaking the errant thought off, Haydn ran a hand

. This was just a political arrangement. His future spouse wasn't goi

y, and the Queen are waiti

Citra, Kadar's capital, didn't take lon

edding ceremony should have taken place in their kingdom and how humili

of the Galactic Council representative," Haydn said in his mos

ever been more reliev

to him as a boy, but as an adult, he c

hings he had to keep his mouth shut about because King

he airport to the Opal House, Hayd

dmit the sleek, minimalist architecture of K

all building in the center of the city. As the helicopter landed

to recognize the beta the Kadarians

tood beside Prime Minister Taube w

the few Kadarian politicians who

leader of the Liberal party, famous for

nister position next year. Haydn wasn't sure how true those r

position with a vote of no-confidence, the constitution had been rewritten, and the prime

y popular both in the Senate and among the general population, so unless something happ

met his, Haydn barely stopp

politician's gaze despite the man exuding

he was anxious, and Haydn could see a bare

slike emanating from Cleghorn, a dislike that made very little sense unt

border lands tend

fortable thought away, Haydn to

paper only, and Haydn wouldn't have to share a bed

handsome man. Dark hair, dark eyes, a

ed up with tall and broad-shouldered, with

with him except Cleghorn didn't share that

f nod and clasped Haydn'

sh it back, Haydn met the o

etter man. Cleghorn's bla

you, Senator Cleghorn," Haydn sai

. His jaw relaxed slightly, his broad

ness," he said, letting go of hi

ked around the room. Prime Minister Taube

l man who smelled strange. His confusion must have

ative, Lord Chancellor Ksar'ngh'chaali

e we kept butchering his name." Ah. So that man wa

ooked similar enough, there were still enough differenc

?" Haydn murmured, glancing back at

was making him so uncomforta

epath." Haydn suppressed a shudder of unease. There were not

weapons and brute power. The telepathic

ry step away from the telepathy and

th something that smelled like the air after a t

aware of the fact t

from Cleghorn, unease c

hy this beta put

tly what he had expected and no

yed the prince, who was speaking

eople are going to notice," Be

ng," Royce said stiffly. His l

. You're being rude." She

as right: it wasn't. Royce f

ts of his suit pants and took a deep breath

, brother," B

handsome." Royce smiled ruef

u're an omega." Belinda smacked him

ractive. He does smell good, though." Royce certainly didn't share that opinion

e, rubbed Royce the wrong way, making him want to posture and

participating in the alpha male postur

he'd reacted so badly to another alpha. Fuck

ct that the prince was unexpecte

turing at all. He just smiled neutrally and

ha. Instead, he was the one who had en

a said, elbowing him. Royce glanced at th

yce grimaced. He didn't bother telling his baby sister

often thought that she forgot about his rea

her to her, not a sexual

murmured in a very quiet voice, proving tha

k out." Royce suppressed another grimace. It wasn't

e head of the Libera

e very traditional: he simply

s or dislike usually. His reaction to Haydn Scha

nda said. "Then maybe you shoul

she walked away, toward their mother, who

two of them a Kadarian and a Pelugian so that the

in less than an hour, he would be a married m

g the inevitable. Lord Ksar'ngh'chaali was impat

y married man himself. He was probabl

etting into his spouse's bed. Royce glanced at his future h

oo alpha for his tastes. Though to be fair, he did have a n

t and warm it would never be mistaken for gray. His hands were good, wi

could be. That man was a killer. Averting

ince Haydn's fault that he had kil

affect his judgment. He had to at least try. He wa

d be enough. It would be a marriage on paper only. He could suppre

st seen his younger brother. If the war truly ended, Aksel w

g pushing him to his knees and making him submit. The irritating p

nstincts making it hard to think ration