Haven 4 AVOW - Sandra R Neeley Page 0,87
as he allowed his eyes to travel across the forty or so soldiers assembled to convince them to leave the station, “I wonder how many of you could be held in offense for hindering a member of the royal family of Cruestace and the commanding General of their military from access to his kidnapped mate.”
“No one is hindering access! We are simply complying with her wishes!” Karel insisted.
“If you are sure you are not holding her against her will, what have you to hide? You should allow me to speak to her. If she still refuses to leave this station I will not force her, but be prepared to house me long term — I will not leave without her,” Lo'San said. “And, if she informs me that you are indeed holding her against her will, your keeping this station safe from the Cruestaci will not be an issue for you any longer - you won’t live to see me destroy it.”
“I am certainly not involved with any crime, especially not one of holding females against their will. Prince Rokai has already stated that I am known for my diplomacy!” Karel said defensively. “I have not committed any crime!”
“Oh, of course, yet here we stand on an official Cruestaci mission, attempting to save a female, a member of the Cruestaci people by claim, and you greet us with military force.”
Ambassador Karel sputtered. “You didn’t… there are battle cruisers! We hailed you and asked your reasons for arrival, no one responded! We warned you away! Yet you docked anyway!”
“I did not hear anyone hail our cruisers, did you General?” Rokai asked.
“Yes, I certainly did. But why would I speak to those holding my female against her will,” Lo'San rumbled. “Why give them warning of their impending battles when I could just as easily land, rescue her and leave them behind in the rubble of their chosen fate.”
“We do not hold her against her will! We protect her!” Karel insisted. “And now you threaten us!”
“General Lo'San is reacting to the fact that he’s not yet been assured of the safety of his female. For all we know she may be enduring horrible abuse as you stand here detaining us,” Rokai answered.
“She is safe, secure and well protected!” Ambassador Karel insisted.
“Prove it,” Rokai said simply.
~~~
Synclare sat in Ambassador Karel’s offices, chewing on her nails nervously as she waited, watching on security vids as Karel and his soldiers faced off with Rokai, his Elite Forces, and Lo'San. Lo'San, she missed him so much, but her heart hurt just thinking of his name. The com unit behind her pinged nonstop, and she turned to look at it. “Shut up!” she hissed at the unit.
The com unit stopped pinging for only a moment before it started up again.
Clenching her teeth, she turned away from the irritating constant ping of the unit and focused on the black and white image of Lo'San as he seemed to argue with Ambassador Karel. He looked tired, and he wasn’t wearing his uniform. He wore the same clothes he wore when he trained with his warriors, but, not his uniform. That was peculiar. She watched as Karel seemed to shout at them in response, and Rokai stood to his full height indignantly. Then her eyes rounded in shock as Karel spun on his heel and moved toward the interior of the space station with Lo'San, Rokai, and Rokai's Elite Forces following closely.
Synclare jumped to her feet and ran out of the office, stopping only long enough to determine where she’d best run to hide. She didn’t want to see Lo'San — she couldn’t face him. She was so devastated with his dismissal of her, and her heart was shattered. The last thing she wanted was to even be in the same room with him. She didn’t know the station as well as she did Command Warship 1 and had no idea of the best places to lose herself. So she just ran, turned down a corridor that seemed to be leading away from the docking bay, and rushed away.
“Where are we going?” one of her guards asked.
“Away. I don’t care where, just away,” she answered.
“Away from…” he said.
“I don’t wish to see them,” she answered. “I don’t know where to hide!” Synclare said, beginning to get upset again.
“Come,” he said, indicating a different direction.
Synclare stood where she was, considering his suggestion.
“Come, return to your quarters and face him. Do not allow him to see you weak and afraid.”
“I am not weak