she hoped was a convincing smile. “It’s okay. I need to talk to Sevith and Hiren. You can go with the other Drokten and all of you can wait in Noah’s room. Make introductions and watch over your brother while he shows the Drokten his toys. I’ll be right here,” she assured her little sister. Then she turned and met her brother’s inquisitive gaze. “Noah, I need you to take the warriors who brought us all this food to your room, and you’re going to hang out with them there and be super nice to them. Maybe you could take out a game or something. Okay?”
Noah nodded in agreement.
Bea looked nervous but Noah was obviously overjoyed at this turn of events. A huge smile spread across his face. “Let’s go,” he announced to the other males in the kitchen. Then her brother eagerly walked away with four Drokten warriors down the hallway, enthusiastically rattling off an unending line of questions about their alien society, their weapons and what their home planet was like. Bea trailed behind. They all entered her brother’s room and then the door closed behind them.
Which left Jenna alone in the kitchen with Sevith and Hiren.
She folded her arms over her chest and stared back and forth between the two shirtless males. Yes, they were handsome and unbelievably sexy, and she had to admit she was thrilled to see them again, but… “So?” Jenna prompted when neither male said a word. “What’s so important you had to kick my siblings out of our own kitchen?”
“We are here to remind you that you are our mate.” Hiren replied, going back to that line of commentary. Great.
“This again? You guys, I already told you—”
“We know what you said yesterday,” Sevith rumbled, “but none of those reasons for your denial of us are true barriers to our triad.”
Jenna released a deep sigh. “Yes, they are! They are very valid reasons.” And right now, she wished these reasons weren’t in the way because if things were different, she’d love to just throw herself in their arms and stop this constant denial. But, she couldn’t. She just couldn’t. “Look,” she gestured toward the hallway, “you can see I have kids to take care of. Remember how upset you two were at finding out about them? When you say you want me, that means you’ll also be stuck taking on my brother and sister too because we’re a package deal. Think about that. Do you really want me in your life as well as Noah and Bea? And I can’t just take them with me to another planet, even if you wanted that, which you don’t. This will never work. Never. Work.”
Didn’t these two men understand how important Noah and Bea were to her? How they were her everything? They’d lost their parents and were all each other had left. And Noah was only ten and still so small and sick…
“Stay calm,” Hiren murmured and to her annoyance—and relief—she instantly experienced a wave of soothing stillness wash over her body from head to toe. “We did not arrive to cause you agitation. We wanted to be with you and make sure you were taken care of…and to meet your siblings. Perhaps we could continue to talk about this while we cook a traditional Drokten breakfast? The warriors have been guarding you all night and would greatly appreciate nourishment. And it would be good for you and your siblings to begin sampling our healthy food.”
“Guarding me…?” She repeated dumbly. “What? Why? I didn’t ask for a security detail!”
“You are valuable to us,” Sevith informed her flatly, “the most valuable of any human. Therefore, we will do everything in our power to keep you safe. Including a security detail while you slumber.”
“I don’t understand.”
Sevith straightened, seeming even taller than usual as his eyes flashed with obvious warning and frustration. “Do you even realize how important you are? To us? And by extension, the entire battle fleet? Your safety and well-being are our primary concern, Jenna Perry. You should be thankful for our protection. You have never been safer—from any threat.”
“Me? And what about Noah and Beatrice? Are they important too?”
Sevith’s features softened. “Yes, my female, they are. You’re right. I worded that incorrectly and I apologize. The security was for you and your siblings, of course.”
What they were telling her… it didn’t make any sense. Didn’t they want only her and not her brother and sister? And yet, she knew there was no sense in