Punished by Tana Stone (best books to read for knowledge .TXT) 📕

back, swaying slightly as he held the door for her, closing it once she’d stepped inside his small dwelling. Unlike females on Kimithion III, males could live alone once they’d reached the age of maturity, so Donal had his own dwelling. She scanned the space quickly, spotting dirty dishes on the table and clothes draped over the back of chairs. One that needed a serious amount of attention.

She tried to imagine Sienna here cleaning up after Donal. The thought almost made her snort out a laugh and lose her nerve, but she pushed her doubts aside.

“So what is it?” Donal rubbed a hand over his forehead and huffed out a breath along with the strong scent of fermented algae.

Juliette wrinkled her nose. Was Donal drunk? Maybe this had been a horrible mistake. She cut her eyes to the door.

“Is it Sienna?” Donal asked, his voice sharp with concern. “Is she okay?”

Juliette released a sigh. No, she was right to do this. It was Donal who truly cared about her sister. It was Donal who could provide a future on the planet for Sienna.

“She’s okay, but there’s something you should know.”

Creases formed along his brow as he stared at her.

“She’s seeing the Vandar. She sneaks out to be with him. It’s been going on for a while. At first, he was just teaching her to fight, but now it’s more. I think they’re…” The words which had spilled from her in such a rush trailed off as Donal’s perplexed expression darkened.

“Are you telling me that this alien brute has been fucking my fiancée?”

I shrunk from him as his voice became a bellow. No way was I going to say what Sienna would—that she wasn’t his fiancée. He was too livid to listen to reason.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I can’t say for sure. I thought maybe you could talk some sense into her, or make her see how much better off she’d be with you.”

He raked a hand through his hair, leaving red gashes on his temple. “Ever since that barbarian arrived, she’s been different. Wanting to learn how to fight, pushing me away.” He pointed to his nose. “Did you know she did this to me?”

Juliette recoiled. Sienna hadn’t mentioned hitting Donal.

“She thinks she can reject me, but turn around and spread her legs for him?” He strode back and forth inside the room, bumping into a low table and kicking it hard. One of the legs shattered, and the table crashed to the floor.

Juliette slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. She hadn’t expected Donal to get so angry. To her, he’d always been easygoing and friendly. She’d never seen this side of him. Had Sienna? Was that why she’d refused Donal?

Then the man turned toward her and squared his shoulders. “Don’t worry. You were right to tell me.”

She eyed his calm expression. “I was?”

He nodded, taking her by the elbow and leading her to the door. “I’ll talk to Sienna like you suggested. I’ll make her see reason.”

Juliette almost sagged with relief. “You’re not angry with her? You wouldn’t…hurt her?”

He looked taken aback. “I could never hurt my future wife.” He opened the door and propelled her out of it. “Sienna and I have always been meant to be together. She just needs a reminder.”

When the door closed, Juliette stood outside, heaving in breaths. That hadn’t gone so bad after all. Sienna might not be thrilled she’d gone behind her back and gotten Donal involved, but it would all be forgotten once the Vandar left, and life returned to normal. A rumble in the sky made her look up, as a massive spaceship descended from above.

For Juliette, normal couldn’t come fast enough.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ch 33

Sienna

I ducked into one of the markets off the main square, flattening myself against the cool stone wall.

“Are you all right?” The Kimitherian shop clerk eyed me from behind a table displaying a variety of glossy ceramic bowls and plates.

My heart pounded, but not from fear. I hadn’t been afraid of the spaceship, and the gold-skinned aliens and females who’d emerged. They seemed perfectly nice—fun even. It was their presence and Corvak’s obvious relief at seeing them that had made me panic.

The Vandar raider had spoken to them like old friends. There was none of the reticence and gruffness that he’d shown when he’d arrived here.

Because he doesn’t fit in here, I reminded myself. Juliette was right. He wasn’t one of us and he never would be. Kimithion III wasn’t his home. He belonged in the skies with other warriors like the bounty hunters who’d arrived to lend aid. And now that they were here, Corvak would probably leave with them.

And leave me behind.

My eyes stung with tears I refused to let fall. He was casting me aside already. Although he’d introduced me at first, I’d been quickly forgotten as more people emerged from the ship and they started to discuss the empire. Corvak had seamlessly slipped into warrior mode with the other bare-chested aliens, and hadn’t even glanced back at me once. It hadn’t been hard to slip away unnoticed.

It was better this way, I told myself. He needed to focus on the coming battle, and I needed to get used to the idea that our fun fling was coming to an end. I bit my lip, hating to admit that my kid sister had been right about everything. Corvak had never had any intention of staying with me, or even taking me with him when he left. I’d always been a means to an end to him, the end being his escape from the planet.

“He was always honest with you,” I muttered to myself, ignoring the sidelong glance from the store clerk who probably didn’t want a female loitering in his shop and talking to herself. “He never lied about wanting to leave.”

I couldn’t blame the Vandar for his part in the ache that gripped my heart, but I could regret mine. Like always, I’d been too