“But why?” Her brow furrowed. “Do your regents still distrust the Xenon even though we now have a treaty?”
“There are some that probably feel that way,” he conceded. “But a few of the regents already have a problem with me, so our mating is just one more thing that they will use as ammunition to replace me.”
“What issue could they possibly have with you?”
He smiled when he heard the outrage in her tone. “No matter how vital treaties are with other races, the Alliance is, at its core, a human institution. That means they will always put human interests first. That creates a divergence of views when it comes to mixed race pairings and hybrid elites. It was one of the reasons Harris and I were so surprised when we were given the command post here in the Capital.”
“They don’t like someone who is half D’Aire being in a position of power?”
“Yes, but it’s a little more complicated than that.”
Strong commanders like Gabriel and Harris were constantly pressured to settle down so they would procreate and add to the gene pool. That was simply the Alliance way of doing things. Since so many people had been infected with the virus that made them infertile, continuing the human race had fallen on those who were immune.
Even though Gabriel was only half D’Aire, he had always hoped to one day find his keeper, and Harris had never hidden the fact that he was attracted to men. That had made them a perfect partnership, but not the best examples for the model Alliance commanders.
As he explained everything to Lyrica, her expression darkened with insult, and the markings on her skin glowed brighter.
“I have heard about the Alliance practice of two male elites claiming a chosen female to bond with, and I hate the idea that males can force any female to bond with them against their will. If anyone tried to force a female in front of me, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from intervening…forcefully if need be,” she confessed.
“I hate it, too, which is why Harris and I have granted exemptions to any female under our command who asks for one. That means no males can claim them without their express permission. That’s just another reason we are on the regents’ shit list.”
“How dare they judge you for doing the right thing!” she hissed. “That’s it. They have now made their way onto my shitty list!”
That made him chuckle even though he knew her outrage was genuine. She could do some serious damage with her magic, and he couldn’t blame her for wanting to defend the female elites. Hell, who was he kidding? He’d be right there next to her kicking ass, taking names, and wreaking havoc. By thinking that, it told him that it was officially time for him to retire. He would always be human, but as Lyrica’s mate, he was also ready to embrace the D’Aire and Xenon parts of himself.
“I really don’t like these regents of yours.”
“They aren’t all bad. I actually consider a few of the regents friends. Out of the twelve regents on the council, there are only a couple of assholes. But those select few certainly like to make life miserable for a lot of people.”
“I’d be happy to return the favor,” she muttered darkly.
“My mate is so fierce.” Gabriel stopped walking and pulled her into his arms. “Giving up my position isn’t a hardship, not when I can’t completely devote myself to the job anymore. So, someone else should take over as Commander of the Capital. I’ll set up a meeting with the regents in a few days. I might as well tell them I’m stepping down before they can force me out.”
“Despite what those asshole regent councilmembers think, I believe you are an even stronger leader now that we are mated.”
He smiled gently and stroked her hair back over her shoulder. “You are the most important person in my life, my entire universe. You are my focus, my one true priority. If I had to choose between you or my duty, I would watch the entire city burn to ash to save you. That isn’t someone who should be in charge of watching over the Capital.”
Her frown lifted into a small smile. “Well, when you put it that way…I guess I can’t argue with your logic.”
“Being the Commander of the Capital is an honor, but it’s also a job for more than just two people. The Capital is ten times bigger than other cities or space stations, so it needs to be managed differently. The city is already separated into districts, so there should be a commander in charge of each section. Then, they could report to a high commander or directly to the regents.”
“That’s not how it’s set up now?”
He shook his head. “Right now, there are generals who control each districts and directors in charge of the different divisions, but they all report to me and Harris. Most of them are good at their jobs, but a few of them sort of coast by without doing much good. Since we are so busy, we aren’t able to catch those individuals until they do something bad enough to bring them to our attention.”
“Well, when we attend that meeting with your regents, you should tell them exactly what changes need to be made to manage the city more efficiently.”
“We?”
She smiled sweetly and nodded. “I look forward to meeting them.”
“Why do I get the feeling this is a really bad idea?”
“Have no fear, mate. I will behave as long as they do.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
She massaged his tense shoulder muscles, then slid her arms around his neck. “If there are those in power here on Earth who do not trust my people, I need to
