Barren land of…? No. Focus on what’s important, Amelia.
“And you must leave with a Khanavai warrior,” Vos said, “because both our governments must be reassured that you will not be a problem any longer.”
“I…” I stumbled over my words. “I need time to think about this.”
Zont spun on his heel and left the room without saying anything. My stomach dropped, and I tried to follow him. But Cav grabbed my arm. “Let me,” he said.
I nodded, uncertain what I would even say to Zont, anyway.
“You may have the time you need.” Vos tried to make his tone magnanimous, but it came out smug. He was all too pleased with himself.
“Come on, Amelia,” Natalie said, taking me by the arm. “Let’s go for a walk while you decide what to do.”
She drew me out of the room, casting a glare back at Vos as we left.
When we were almost to the door to the outer office, Vos called out after us, “You have until tomorrow morning to make your decision.”
Natalie let out an actual growl in response but managed to keep it under her breath.
“I don’t know what to do,” I wailed as soon as we were out of the Administrator’s office. “I need more time.”
“Shh,” Natalie patted my shoulder as she made soothing sounds. “Let’s get away from this hallway. Vos’s office gives me the creeps.”
She led me down toward the main concourse and to a food court area, where she bought some kind of hot tea and gave it to me to sip. “Would you rather sit or walk?”
“I don’t know,” I replied listlessly.
“There’s a hydroponic garden nearby. It’s a good place for thinking.” I followed her through what seemed like a maze of corridors until we emerged in a space full of greenery—and other colors, too, a riot of plants from both Earth and Khanav Prime, and possibly other places, too.
Natalie dropped down onto a bench. “I’m going to sit right here. You can sit with me, go for a walk, talk or not, whatever you want.”
“I think I’d like some time alone.”
She nodded. “You got it. I’ll be here whenever you’re ready to come back.”
I stepped onto the path leading into the densest part of the vegetation. After days surrounded by people—at the medical conference, on the bus, in the car with Zont, and ever since the Khanavai shuttle had picked us up to come to the station, it was nice to be alone with my thoughts for a while.
I knew I was too exhausted to be making life-altering decisions.
Doesn’t look like I have any other choice, though.
Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring the flowers and plants around me into something that resembled a Monet painting.
I brushed the tears away, determined to consider what to do next.
A rustling in the plants to my right drew my attention, and a bright yellow Khanavai pushed past me on the path, muttering obscenities as he went.
I remembered Natalie discussing a yellow Khanavai groom. Can you imagine his cock? Like a giant banana.
I wondered briefly if that was the same guy.
Jesus. This whole place is like a fucking circus.
I glanced at the yellow guy’s retreating back. Complete with clowns.
Actually, come to think of it, I was pretty sure that was the role I was expected to play—entertainment for the masses.
More like a human sacrifice.
The thought made me snort in laughter, even through my tears.
Okay. So my options were to “mate” with Zont or to choose someone I knew nothing about. And I already knew a lot about Zont. He was protective, for one thing.
Even when he’d been sent to Earth to find me, he had saved me from other Khanavai and protected me from the Alveron Horde. He’d been willing to drive halfway across the country to save his team.
I would never have to worry about anyone hurting me.
And the sex was amazing.
When I considered it that way, it didn’t seem quite as awful as it had when I’d been faced with it in Vos’s office with the Administrator leering at me.
Maybe Zont could even help me find a way to practice medicine on Khanav Prime. There were brides there, right? Surely they needed human doctors sometimes. And most Khanavai these days had at least some human DNA. Perhaps I could specialize in treating human ailments new to the Khanavai.
Okay. I could do this.
Even if the thought of leaving my life made my stomach hurt.
But I had been willing to leave my life behind to go on the run. Maybe this wasn’t so different, after all.
Time to go find Zont.
Chapter Sixteen
Zont
I left Vos’s office with Amelia’s words echoing in my head.
I need time to think about this.
I should have expected her reluctance, I suppose, but hearing it aloud still hurt. I had to wonder if capturing my reaction on vid for his show had been part of the reason Vos had arranged for her to say it in front of me.
I hit the horticulture area in full stride, marching into the greenery as if I had someplace to go.
I was halfway down the entrance path when I heard Cav calling my name from behind me.
“Zont! Hold up!”
I paused, but reluctantly, and waited for the blue Khanavai warrior to catch up with me.
“What the Zagrodnian hells are you doing?” Cav demanded.
“You heard her. She needs time to think about it.” I didn’t meet my friend’s gaze. Instead, I turned and began marching down the path—a little more slowly this time, though. Apparently, I didn’t really want to be alone, after all.
“Are you kidding me?” Cav said. “You knew from the moment you saw her picture that Amelia Rivers was the woman you wanted.”
I shrugged. “If we’re true mates, shouldn’t she feel the same way? If I know from the very beginning, why doesn’t she?”
Cav stopped, planted his feet on the path, put both hands on his hips, leaned his
