Page 61 of Owned
Cylex sat in one of the chairs facing the desk so Kern followed his example. He’d been well on his way to disliking Zevon until the president had abruptly changed tone. Now he didn’t know what to think.
“Cylex came to me and confessed that he was a spy,” Zevon began in a calm, yet cold tone. “He voluntarily switched sides and had since proven his trustworthiness in countless ways. You betrayed Jevara in favor of Laidon, then betrayed Laidon because you wanted Raina for yourself. How am I supposed to trust someone like that?”
Was Zevon intentionally provoking him? Seeing how he reacted? Or was he back to being an asshole? “That is not what happened, but I understand why you see it that way.”
Zevon pressed back into his chair and interlaced his fingers across his abdomen. “Where was my assessment inaccurate?”
“I never betrayed Jevara because I never intended to deliver Raina to him. That one act would have been proof beyond doubt that I was not worthy of your trust.”
A smile lifted the corners of Zevon’s lips, but his gaze remained sharp and assessing. “And Laidon? Did you intend to deliver Raina to the rebel leader?”
“I was told that she would be able to choose her own mates from among the rebels. I believed that this would offer her the most control of her own situation. So yes, I intended to deliver her safely to Laidon.”
“You’ve just described the situation she was in here. Raina was working with her cousin to select her mates. Why did you consider the rebels a better choice?”
Kern straightened his shoulders and met Zevon’s gaze. He would not be browbeaten by this Altorian. “I believe the rebels have a better chance of winning the war. I wanted to put Raina on the winning side.”
“Really?” Rather than be insulted, Zevon looked amused. “Even Laidon knows the war cannot be won without my forces. Why do you doubt our abilities?”
“I do not doubt your abilities. I doubt your commitment. Laidon is a zealot. There is nothing in the universe more important to him than ending Jevara’s reign. To you, this war is an obligation, one you inherited along with this office.”
Zevon considered that for a moment then shrugged. “I’ll grant you that, but what changed your mind about giving Raina to Laidon?”
Unless Zevon had not bothered to question Laidon, the president knew the details of what took place. So why make Kern list the events and justify every decision? The answer was obvious. Zevon wanted to see if Kern would tell the truth, no matter how bad it made him look. “No one realized how close Raina was to activation. When it became obvious that she was in crisis, I did what I could to stabilize her unraveling energy.”
“You fucked her senseless,” Zevon stated drolly.
“She was more than willing, and there was no choice,” Kern stressed. “If I had not fucked her, it’s unlikely that either of us would have survived.”
Rather than challenge the claim, Zevon asked, “What happened next?”
Kern glared at him. This was unnecessary. The president was trying to humiliate him. Well, he was going to be disappointed. Kern didn’t regret anything that had happened and none of it made him feel ashamed. “I was not strong enough to stabilize her awakening. It was impossible to do with one person. She slipped into a coma, so I rushed her to the Temple of Air. As everyone knows, the strongest healers in the star system reside there.”
Again, Zevon didn’t argue with him. “Raina is fully recovered, so that was clearly a good decision. When and why did you and Cylex team up to claim her?”
Kern glanced at Cylex. Had he admitted that they were half-brothers? Considering who their father was it was unlikely that Cylex would volunteer the information. “Cylex and I knew each other at Seyzon Academy. Raina was already in love with Cylex, so it simply made sense for me to become their controller.”
“Did it make sense to Raina?” Zevon challenged.
“It took some work, but Raina was in complete agreementbeforewe claimed her.”
Zevon nodded thoughtfully, then moved his hands to the desktop. “How did you leave things with Laidon?”
Kern snarled in open disdain. “That son of a whore threatened our mate. Held her in front of him like a shield. Even if Raina were not our mate, Laidon is beneath contempt.”
“I agree with him completely,” Cylex added, his voice ringing with conviction. “Only the worst sort of coward hides behind a female.”
After a thoughtful pause, Zevon looked at Kern. “I sense no deception in you, so I will not take action for the kidnapping. Trust is harder to build, but I am willing to work toward building some. Are you?”
“I am,” Kern said firmly. Zevon had thousands of people depending on him. He was right to be cautious. “And thank you for the second chance. Jevara is making us all a little insane.”
Zevon finally relaxed enough to smile. “No one on this outpost would disagree with that statement.” He reached over and tapped his fingertips across a section of his desktop. “I’m ready now. Send her in.”
The door opened a moment later and Raina walked into the office, looking around with obvious confusion. “Is this your office?”
Everyone laughed, but Zevon answered. “My predecessor and I prefer very different aesthetics. I keep waiting for a lull in activity so I can fix this mess, but the lull never comes.”
“So order someone else to do it.” She looked around again and shivered. “New furniture and a coat of paint would be a darn good start.”