and close to giving birth. He made it clear he won’t be leaving his tribe for some time.”
I grind my teeth at that. Rakiz has something I want, and I know I have many things he would like access to on this side of the water—my marketplace in particular. Even if my offer to the human females was due to my fascination with Vivian, the fact remains that I have made the first move by giving his tribe members—temporary as they may be—access to vendors from across this galaxy.
And yet the barbaric tribe king insists I go to him?
I open my mouth to refuse, but Korzyn slides me a look, and I slam it shut, grinding my teeth. In order for our plan to work, I need access to something very particular from across the water.
“According to my spies, the human females will have the part for their thruster fixed within days,” Korzyn says. “They will want to travel back to the tribe to give it to the other human females. Perhaps this would be a good opportunity to visit, while reminding the barbarian king that it is only due to your goodwill that the part is fixed.”
I grind my teeth some more, but it makes sense.
“Fine. Send a messenger with our response.”
Chapter Eight
Vivian
The last few days have passed in a blur of sex, sleep, and more sex. When Arix offered his terms, they sounded a lot like “be available when I need you,” so I made sure to do the opposite, making him look for me all over the castle if he wanted me.
According to Sarissa, this was a good opportunity to teach him that human females aren’t the type to roll over for arrogant kings.
Although, sometimes rolling over can have benefits. Especially when those benefits include coming so hard you practically forget your own name.
I blush at the thought of just how many times I “rolled over” for Arix last night.
Today, though, we’re heading back to the marketplace. According to Sarissa, there’s a high chance the guy who sells the part we need will be returning in the next few days.
I wince as Cauri pulls the comb through a knot in my hair, and she rolls her eyes, muttering about fragile human females.
Cauri was unimpressed when Arix left my rooms, scowling and declaring me a trollop. I pointed at the door and told her she could leave unless she was going to apologize for that remark. I may be scared of her—not that I’d ever admit such a thing to Sarissa—but that doesn’t mean she gets to slut-shame me.
Cauri gaped at me, stunned, but I stared at her, waiting her out. Finally, she muttered an apology, then ordered me into the bath so she could arrange for my sheets to be changed if the king was going to be visiting them again.
I ground my teeth until I worried there would be only nubs left.
God forbid Arix roll around in the same sheets he left his spunk in.
Thankfully, he kept his word, and last night, a servant brought a tonic with my dinner. Surprisingly, Cauri nodded in approval, muttering that I may be a trollop, but at least I’m not stupid.
I let that one go.
Unfortunately, now that she knows I’m banging the king, Cauri’s obsession with my appearance has reached new heights. The one good thing about the way she does my hair, however, is I no longer have flashbacks to my mother yanking on my blonde strands when I was a child. No, Cauri is worse than my mother ever was, so the dread in my stomach when I sit down at my pretty, carved vanity is entirely thanks to the maid.
It’s almost ironic that Cauri’s disapproving frown reminds me so much of my mother.
When I hit puberty, it quickly became evident I wasn’t going to be modeling for Chanel anytime in the future unless I had a breast reduction.
My mother bemoaned the fact I was curvier than her—eyeballing every scrap of food I put in my mouth and blaming my father’s side of the family for my genes.
I actually considered it—the breast reduction. But ultimately, choosing not to go under the knife was a giant fuck-you to my mother who had been having yearly “tune-ups” since before I was born.
So I’m never going to be on the cover of Vogue. I have my own career, which mostly includes lingerie and swimsuit modeling. And if I occasionally wonder what it would’ve been like if I’d stood up to